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Estimate cost, export expenses and profit for a Salvadoran coffee lot. Figures update as you type, as soon as a weight is entered. You can use pounds, kilos or quintals. Everything is indicative: not a quote and not tax advice.

Estimates based on 2025–2026 rules and markets. You can change any figure.

Please note

Prices, freight, fees and taxes are planning estimates. The Salvadoran Coffee Institute (ISC) issues the export permit, certificate of origin and letter of guarantee. Always check with your forwarder, the Ministry of Finance, CIEX and the importer at destination.

1. Quantity and product

Coffee weight
Pounds by default. 1 kg = 2.2046 lb. 1 Salvadoran gold quintal = 46 kg ≈ 101.41 lb.

2. Coffee cost (USD)

3. Destination and market costs

Export costs in El Salvador

El Salvador VAT: coffee exports are zero-rated. It is not added as a cost. Local input VAT may be recoverable depending on the exporter’s regime.

Fixed paperwork per shipment (USD, estimates)

Transport rates for this destination

Import costs at destination

Under FOB or CIF the importer usually pays these. They enter your cost only for DAP/DDP, or if you tick the box below.

4. Selling price (USD)

Target net profit 8%
Net margin = net profit ÷ revenue. Move the slider to set the selling price, or edit the price and the slider shows the margin you achieve. When costs change, whichever you adjusted last (slider or price) is preserved.
Permits and items to keep in mind
  • Register as an exporter with the ISC and with CIEX / Customs.
  • Coffee brand registered at the CNR, if it applies to your operation.
  • Register the foreign sales contract with the ISC.
  • ISC export permit, certificate of origin and letter of guarantee.
  • Payment slips for the registration fee and special contribution (Ministry of Finance).
  • Goods declaration and CIEX clearance.
  • MAG phytosanitary certificate for green coffee.
  • Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill.
  • At destination: EORI (EU/UK), FDA Prior Notice (U.S.), GACC registration (China), among others depending on the market.
Sources and assumptions
  • Average FOB Jan–May 2026: USD 320.70/qq (BCR / El Economista, June 2026). May 2026: USD 316.30/qq.
  • Salvadoran gold quintal = 46 kg (local rule and ISC fee basis).
  • Contract registration fee: USD 0.35/qq (D.L. 791/2005). Special contribution: USD 0.50/qq (D.L. 1087/2002). Collected by the Ministry of Finance when the permit is endorsed.
  • Export permit, certificate of origin and letter of guarantee: ISC, also via the Foreign Trade Facilitation System (CIEX/BCR, 2025). Typical permit validity: 60 business days.
  • Foreign sales contract must be registered with the ISC (reformed deadline: 10 business days). Customs will not release coffee without an ISC permit.
  • Green coffee HS 0901.11: 0% duty in the U.S., EU, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia (MFN). Roasted coffee: EU 7.5%; Japan 12% WTO; China green MFN 8% plus 13% VAT.
  • Indicative import VAT/GST: Germany 7%, Belgium 6%, Netherlands 9%, France 5.5%, Spain and Italy 10%, Finland 13.5%, Mexico 16%, Saudi Arabia 15%, Korea and Japan 10%. UK, Canada and Australia: green coffee often 0% as food.
  • U.S.: FY2026 MPF 0.3464% (min $33.58 / max $651.50). HMF 0.125% ocean only. FDA Prior Notice and ISF 10+2.
  • EU: MAG phytosanitary, TRACES NT / CHED-PP and, from 2026, EUDR due diligence. Belgium has a coffee excise; Germany charges Kaffeesteuer (~€2.19/kg) on roasted coffee only.
  • Freight 2025–2026 from Acajutla/SAL: market ranges by country (20′ FCL, LCL, air, regional truck). Not a specific carrier tariff. Typical ocean transit: U.S. East ~12 days, Antwerp/Rotterdam ~36, Japan ~32.
  • Cargo insurance: 0.4% of insurable value as a starting point (ICC policies often 0.3%–0.5%).
  • Bean cost is estimated below average FOB by quality. It does not replace your farm, mill or contract price.
  • Duty and VAT/GST use customs value (sell price + freight + insurance per Incoterm). Tariff reference: ITC Market Access Map / MFN rates by country.
  • FCL: full container by default; optional prorate if not filling a 20′ (~18,000 kg). Air/courier: chargeable weight = max(actual weight, volume at 167 kg/m³, coffee density ~500 kg/m³).
  • USD to destination-currency rates: daily reference (Frankfurter/ECB and ExchangeRate-API). Refreshed when opening the calculator if more than 12 hours old. If the request fails, the last saved rate is used. Not a bank quote.

Calculator glossary

Acronyms, Incoterms and words used in this export simulation, explained plainly. Use it to read the results without guessing what each abbreviation means.

43 terms · grouped by letter · tap a letter to open or close it

See also the general coffee glossary

A 1 term

Air chargeable weight

Also: Billable weight

Weight airlines use to charge: the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (volume × 167 kg/m³). Coffee is estimated at ~500 kg per cubic metre.

B 1 term

BTOM

Also: Border Target Operating Model

The United Kingdom’s updated border controls for imports, including food and coffee. It may require advance notice and extra checks when goods arrive at UK ports.

C 7 terms

Cargo insurance

Also: Marine / air cargo policy

Policy covering loss or damage in transit. Calculated as a percentage of insurable value (goods + costs per Incoterm). Typical range: 0.3%–0.5%.

CFR

Also: Cost and Freight

Incoterm: the seller pays freight to the destination port, but not insurance or destination costs. In the calculator the exporter pays freight; insurance may be added to the customs value if the buyer did not cover it earlier.

CIEX

Also: Foreign Trade Facilitation System

Salvadoran platform (with BCR and ISC) to register contracts, export permits and outbound customs procedures. Without an endorsed ISC permit, Customs will not release the coffee for export.

CIF

Also: Cost, Insurance and Freight

Incoterm: the seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port. Customs value is usually the invoice amount (CIF price). Destination taxes are normally paid by the importer unless you sell DDP.

CIQ

Also: China entry inspection

Chinese border inspection and quarantine authority. Coffee entering China may be inspected on arrival; GACC registration of the exporter is usually required beforehand.

Customs broker

Also: Clearance agent

Professional or firm that handles coffee entry at destination: tariff classification, declaration and customs coordination. The calculator includes a fixed estimated fee per shipment.

Customs value

Also: Dutiable value

Value on which the destination country calculates duty and VAT. Here it is estimated from the sell price (invoice) plus freight and insurance per the chosen Incoterm: under CIF/DDP it is usually the invoice; under FOB, freight and insurance are added.

D 2 terms

DAP

Also: Delivered at Place

Incoterm: the seller delivers at an agreed place in the destination country and pays freight and insurance, but not import duty or VAT. The calculator may include destination handling; taxes are paid by the importer unless you model DDP.

DDP

Also: Delivered Duty Paid

Incoterm: the seller pays almost everything until the coffee is delivered at destination, including import duty and VAT/GST. It is the most complete option for the buyer and the most demanding for the exporter in this simulation.

E 4 terms

EORI

Also: Economic Operators Registration and Identification

Registration number for economic operators in the European Union and United Kingdom. Required for anyone importing or handling customs procedures in those markets.

EUDR

Also: EU Deforestation Regulation

European rule requiring proof that coffee (and other products) did not come from land deforested after 2020. Applies to exports to the EU from 2026; it requires due diligence and traceability.

Excise tax

Also: Special coffee tax; accise

National tax separate from VAT that some countries charge on coffee (green or roasted). Belgium and Germany (roasted only) are examples. In the calculator it is in USD per kilo by destination.

EXW

Also: Ex Works

Incoterm: the seller delivers coffee at their farm or warehouse; the buyer pays almost everything (inland haul, export formalities, freight, insurance, destination). In the calculator the exporter only pays bean cost and minimal origin items.

F 4 terms

FCL

Also: Full Container Load

Ocean shipment in a dedicated container, usually 20-foot (~18,000 kg of coffee). By default the calculator charges full container(s); you can enable prorate if the container is not full.

FCL prorate

Also: Partial container share

Option to charge only the fraction of a 20′ container your lot uses (kg ÷ 18,000) instead of one or more full containers. Useful for small shipments in FCL mode.

FDA Prior Notice

Also: U.S. FDA advance notice

Mandatory notice to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before coffee enters the country. Filed per shipment with product, origin and carrier details.

FOB

Also: Free On Board

Common coffee Incoterm: the exporter places goods on board at Acajutla or the airport and covers export formalities. Freight and insurance onward are usually for the buyer; destination customs value adds those to the sell price.

G 3 terms

GACC

Also: China facility registration

General Administration of Customs China: registration of foreign plants and exporters before shipping food products. Without valid registration, coffee may be rejected at the border.

GrainPro

Also: Hermetic liner

Airtight plastic liner inside the jute bag that reduces oxygen and moisture. Protects quality on long transit. The calculator adds a per-kilo surcharge when enabled.

Green coffee

Also: Gold coffee; oro

Dry exportable bean, milled and ready to ship. The usual Salvadoran export product, classified under HS 0901.11.

H 2 terms

HMF

Also: Harbor Maintenance Fee

U.S. fee of 0.125% on the value of goods for ocean imports (FCL/LCL). Applies only to U.S. destination when USA fees are enabled in the calculator.

HS code

Also: Harmonized System tariff code

International code that classifies the product for customs. Export green coffee: 0901.11; roasted: 0901.21. It determines the duty rate in each country.

I 6 terms

Import duty

Also: Customs duty; tariff

Tax charged by the destination country when coffee enters. In the calculator it applies to the customs value (CIF or equivalent per Incoterm). Green coffee HS 0901.11 is often 0% MFN in many markets; roasted coffee may pay more.

Import VAT / GST

Also: Value added tax

Destination tax calculated on customs value + duty (+ excise if any). In many countries the importer pays it and later reclaims it if registered; the calculator may therefore mark it as recoverable.

Incoterm

Also: International commercial terms

ICC rules defining who pays freight, insurance, formalities and risk in an international sale. The calculator allocates costs according to your choice (EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP, DDP).

International freight

Also: Freight

Cost to move the lot from El Salvador to the destination country. Depends on mode (FCL, LCL, air, courier or regional truck) and volume. The calculator estimates a total in USD per shipment.

ISC

Also: Salvadoran Coffee Institute

Agency that regulates and facilitates coffee exports: contract registration, export permit, certificate of origin and letter of guarantee. Per-quintal fees (registration fee and special contribution) appear in the origin section.

ISF 10+2

Also: Importer Security Filing

Security filing the importer (or their agent) must submit to U.S. Customs before ocean shipment. Includes exporter, container and cargo data.

L 1 term

LCL

Also: Less than Container Load

Ocean shipment when your lot shares a container with other shippers. Charged per kilo (with a minimum per shipment). Often used for medium volumes that do not fill an FCL.

M 3 terms

MFN duty

Also: Most Favoured Nation tariff

Standard customs rate a country applies without a preferential trade deal. It is the default reference in the calculator before you apply an FTA or exemption.

Milling

Also: Beneficiado; hulling

Origin process that turns parchment into export-ready green coffee, or roasts the bean for roasted product. In the calculator it is a per-kilo cost you can adjust.

MPF

Also: Merchandise Processing Fee

U.S. merchandise processing fee: 0.3464% of customs value (min USD 33.58, max USD 651.50 in FY2026). Enabled with USA fees in the calculator.

N 1 term

Net profit

Also: Exporter net profit

What the exporter keeps after subtracting every cost they pay under the Incoterm (origin, freight, insurance, handling, duty, excise, MPF/HMF, etc.). Recoverable VAT/GST is not subtracted because it is not a final cost for those who can reclaim it.

P 3 terms

Parchment

Also: Parchment coffee

Coffee dried with the parchment layer still on; not export-ready until milled. The calculator adds milling cost and adjusts reference prices.

Phytosanitary certificate (MAG)

Also: Plant health certificate

Document from El Salvador’s Ministry of Agriculture certifying that green coffee meets plant-health requirements for export. Required by the EU, U.S. and many other destinations.

Preferential trade (FTA)

Also: Free trade agreement

Trade deal that may reduce or eliminate duty if a valid certificate of origin is presented (DR-CAFTA, EU agreements, etc.). The calculator starts from MFN duty; you can lower it if a preference applies.

Q 1 term

Quintal (qq)

Also: Salvadoran qq; 46 kg

Salvadoran unit for pricing and ISC fees: 46 kg of green coffee. BCR FOB prices and contract contributions are quoted in USD per quintal.

R 1 term

Recoverable VAT

Also: Recoverable GST

Portion of import VAT/GST the exporter pays under DDP but may reclaim if registered as an importer at destination. The calculator shows it separately and does not subtract it from net profit.

S 1 term

SHG

Also: Strictly High Grown

Strictly high-grown coffee, cultivated above an elevation threshold (typically 1,200 m or more depending on origin). In the calculator it is a quality tier with higher reference prices.

T 2 terms

Target margin

Also: Desired profit margin

Net profit percentage you want on the selling price. The calculator adjusts the per-kilo price iteratively because duty and taxes depend on invoice value.

TRACES NT / CHED-PP

Also: EU phytosanitary pre-notification

European advance-notification system for plant products such as green coffee. The importer declares the shipment before arrival; customs and plant health may inspect.

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