A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026, hitting the country’s key coffee-growing departments — Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Caldas, Antioquia, Chocó and Quindío — and severely disrupting exports. Landslides triggered by the quake blocked the main highway that carries roughly 60% of Colombia’s coffee exports, along with access to Buenaventura, the country’s primary Pacific port. Colombia is the world’s third-largest coffee producer and a leading exporter of high-quality washed Arabica, with exports reaching $5.96 billion in 2025. In the following days, authorities partially restored traffic through Buenaventura, though flow remains constrained by road inspections and the use of alternative ports to ease pressure on the main route. The event is a fresh reminder of how exposed global coffee supply chains are to natural disasters.
Discover the coffee selection available at Mister Tabaco.
Source: World Coffee Portal