The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, Danylo Getmantsev, has drawn the attention of the Economic Security Bureau (ESB) and the State Tax Service (STS) to the coffee trade sector, which has become one of the most problematic in terms of tax payments, with state losses reaching UAH 1 billion.
“We all love to start our morning with coffee. But what is a habit for us has long been a sector with significant losses for the state. The problems begin at the customs clearance stage: every third ton of coffee is smuggled in annually, disguised as chicory or without any declaration at all. The leaders in customs clearance are the Kyiv and Lviv customs offices,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the problems do not end at customs: markets and large retail chains, divided into individual entrepreneurs, are also involved in the schemes of selling illegal coffee for cash, with losses amounting to over a billion hryvnia.
The MP reported that in the first nine months of 2025, the industry showed disappointing results, namely: the VAT payment rate increased to 1.45% (+0.28 p.p. compared to 2024), but it is still 0.46 p.p. lower than in 2023, and income tax fell to 0.85% (-0.09 p.p. compared to 2024).
According to Getmantsev, the main risk for the sector is the level of wages, where 89% of taxpayers pay below the market average salary of UAH 12,900, while, according to work.ua, the market average is UAH 22,000. At the same time, more than 18% of enterprises have an average salary below the minimum, which is evidence of the use of tax evasion schemes.
“It is obvious that a significant part of the industry is in the shadows. The question to the tax authorities is: what is the matter with tax control, where are the cash registers/payment terminals?” said the head of the parliamentary committee, calling on the BEB and the DNS to take urgent measures to de-shadow the coffee industry.
In early September, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) registered the issue of series “B” bonds by Galka Trading House LLC (Lviv), a subsidiary of coffee and coffee products manufacturer Galka, in the amount of UAH 50 million.
According to information in the NSSMC register, the nominal value of the bonds is UAH 1,000, but information on the term of circulation and yield rate is not yet available.
The audit report for the first quarter states that at the end of March this year, as at the end of last year, bonds of the debut issue of TD Galka series “A” with a total nominal value of UAH 45.004 million were in circulation, while the issuer’s account had UAH 4.996 million.
The decision to issue new bonds without a public offering for another UAH 50 million was made by the participants on June 18 this year.
The Ukrainian-English joint venture Galka LLC (until 2004 – Galka Ltd.) was founded on the basis of the Lviv coffee factory. It is engaged in the production and sale of coffee, coffee products and coffee substitutes, and tea under the Galka trademark. It owns 90% of Galka Trading House LLC, and the remaining 10% is owned by Galinvest PZNFI under the management of Western Investment Group AMC.
According to the audit report, the ultimate beneficiaries of TD Galka through the Dutch company Nedinvestment B.V. are Volodymyr Pasternak – 25.42%, Yuriy Dubovoy and Yaroslav Volynets – 20.91% each, and their children Oleg and Andriy, who received 4.51% each in the period after November 2021, as well as Dutch citizen Jan Lavoie François with a 13.74% stake.
In the first quarter of 2025, TD Galka reduced its net profit by 10.2% to UAH 9.99 million, while its revenue increased by 64.2% to UAH 254.38 million.
In 2024, the company increased its net profit by 48.3% to UAH 56.65 million and its revenue by 17.2% to UAH 766.30 million.
According to its 2024 report, the parent company had five bond issues maturing in 2030-2034 with a total value of UAH 212.13 million.
The parent company’s net profit in 2024 increased by 36.2% to UAH 49.84 million, and revenue by 7.7% to UAH 86,186.3 million.
In January-June 2024, Ukraine imported 22,617 thousand tons of coffee, which is 6.1% less than in the same period a year earlier, when foreign purchases amounted to 24,094 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), spending on coffee purchases in the first half of the year rose by 36.9% to $173.403 million, compared to $126.684 million in the same period a year earlier.
The main suppliers of coffee to Ukraine were Poland, which accounted for 16.58% of imports, worth $28.749 million, Brazil – 12.75% and $22.104 million, and Germany – 12.49% and $21.653 million.
A year earlier, the top three coffee suppliers to Ukraine were Poland (16.83% worth $21.326 million), Italy (15.87% worth $20.1 million), and Brazil (12.31% worth $15.598 million).
Tea imports in January-June 2025 decreased by 22.87% to 5,452 thousand tons compared to 7,069 thousand tons in the same period last year. In monetary terms, imports in the first half of 2025 decreased by 16.26% and amounted to $20.957 million compared to $25.027 million last year.
At the same time, the three key suppliers of tea to Ukraine in January-June remained unchanged: Sri Lanka (30.13% worth $6.313 million), Kenya (17.77% worth $3.724 million) and China (14.63% worth $3.067 million). Last year, these countries accounted for 28.95%, 23.07%, and 11.33% of tea exports to Ukraine, bringing them $7.247 million, $5.774 million, and $2.835 million, respectively.
Tea and coffee production in Ukraine involves 570 business entities, in 2024 they earned UAH 10 billion, which is 19% more than in 2023, when their revenue amounted to UAH 8.6 billion, according to a study by YouControl.
It is noted that as of July 2025, there are 570 business entities in Ukraine that are not in a state of termination, registered and conducting financial activities under CEA 10.83 “Production of tea and coffee”. In particular, 264 operate in the form of companies, and 306 are individual entrepreneurs. Most of them are concentrated in Kyiv – 153 entities, in Dnipropetrovska (54) and Kyiv (48), Lviv (40) and Odesa (36) regions.
The analysts noted that among the analyzed companies there are also legal entities with foreign capital, in particular from China, India, Turkey, as well as Cyprus, Moldova and other European countries.
According to the study, the ten largest tea and coffee companies in Ukraine earned a total of UAH 7.9 billion, which is 79% of the total revenue of companies that submitted financial statements for 2024.
According to YouControl, the leaders of the coffee market are Monomakh JSC with UAH 2.3 billion in revenue, Fes Ukr LLC (MacCoffee and HILLWAY brands) with UAH 2 billion, Galka Ltd and Coffee from Lviv LLC (Galka and Coffee from Lviv brands) with UAH 1.63 billion, and Vienna Coffee LLC (Vienna Coffee brand) with UAH 526 million, TC Trade LLC (brands Greenfield, TESS, Princess Nuri, etc.) – UAH 408 million, Food Pack LLC (brand Gemini) – UAH 373.6 million, Trypillian Sun LLC (brands Trypillian Sun, Sherlock Secrets, Tea Moments, Tea Family) – UAH 323 million, Ukrainian Coffee Company LLC (brands GALEAD’OR, XO, 1CUP, 1CUPsule. Inspiro Gusto, 1CUPsule. EGO, RIO NEGRO, LEONARDO) – UAH 280 million, SUB LLC Ukrainian Tea Factory Ahmad Tee (Ahmad Tea brand) – UAH 187.3 million, LLC Lisova Skazka (Lisova Skazka, Tea Collection, EcoTea brands) – UAH 165 million.
“Unfortunately, the market leaders are not without ties with the aggressor,” the resource noted and added that this thesis applies to half of the rating participants.
Experts predict coffee prices to rise by up to 40% in 2025. The main reasons cited are drought in Brazil and abnormal rains in Vietnam, the largest coffee-producing countries, according to the FAO and the International Coffee Organization.
In 2024, the price of Arabica rose by 69%, reaching record levels and exceeding $4.30 per pound on the ICE exchange in early 2025. Drought in Brazil led to a 10-11% drop in harvest, causing a shortage, while in Vietnam, the harvest fell by 10-20% due to droughts and heavy rains. The International Coffee Organization warns that market stabilization should not be expected until 2026-2028.
Retail coffee prices are expected to rise by 10-20%, leading to higher prices in cafes and retail packaging. This will increase inflationary pressure, as rising coffee prices complement rising food prices. Experts note that producers will have to invest in drought-resistant varieties and new irrigation systems. There is also an increase in costs in the supply chain, including higher prices for fertilizers, logistics, and credit resources.
According to the FAO, global coffee production in 2023 amounted to about 11 million tons, of which Brazil accounted for 31%, Vietnam for 18%, and Indonesia for about 7%. Global coffee consumption is growing by about 2% annually and is estimated at 177 million bags per year.
According to open data, the leaders in per capita coffee consumption are Finland (about 12-13 kg per year), Norway (about 10 kg), Iceland (9.8 kg), Denmark (8.7 kg), the Netherlands (8.4 kg), Sweden (8.2 kg), Switzerland (7.9 kg), Belgium (6.8 kg), Luxembourg (6.5 kg), and Canada (6.5 kg).
Rising coffee prices in 2025 could pose a serious challenge for both producers and consumers, and will increase interest in sustainable production and expansion of supply in order to stabilize the market in the face of a changing climate.
Global coffee bean production in the 2025/2026 agricultural season will increase by 2.5% to reach a record 178.68 million bags (60 kg each), according to a report by the US Department of Agriculture.
At the same time, the arabica harvest will decrease by 1.7% to 97.02 million bags, while robusta will increase by 7.9% to 81.66 million bags.
Due to the increase in production, global carryover stocks will increase by 4.9% to 22.82 million bags by the end of the season.
“During the current week, coffee prices fell, in particular for Arabica fell to a 5.5-month low amid reports of improved weather conditions in the Brazilian coffee-growing states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais,” the report said.
As reported, at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, the world market saw a high growth in coffee prices. Thus, in February, coffee prices doubled in annual terms. In particular, this was due to the fact that traders were worried about the prospect of insufficient supplies from Brazil, which is the largest producer of Arabica coffee.
