In the early 1960’s the International Coffee Organization (ICO)
instituted an identification code for coffee exports to enable it to apply the
export quota system that existed at the time. However, this coding system has
become an important statistical tool in its own right and so remains valid also
in to-day’s free coffee market.
Example: 002 – 1961 – 0978
- The first group
(002, maximum three digits) identifies the country of origin, in this case
Brazil. Other codes are 003 Colombia, 011 Guatemala and so on. *
- The second group
(1961, maximum four digits) identifies the exporter. Exporters are
registered with the local authority that issues ICO Certificates of Origin
and receive a code number from such an authority.
- The third group
(0978, maximum four digits) refers to the individual shipment to which the
bags in question belong – in this example shipment number 978 made by
exporter number 1961 during the Coffee Year in question. **
The system allows easy the identification of individual bags: the
country of origin, the exporter, and the shipment number for that exporter.
For shipments in bulk (see topic 05.02.06) the shipping marks,
including the ICO numbers, are marked directly on the container liner, making
them visible when the container doors are opened. The container number itself
is marked on the ICO Certificate of Origin, thereby completing the link.
* To see the entire list of country codes and more on ICO
Certificates of Origin go to www.ico.org, look
under Documents, By Category, Executive Board and trace EB 3775/01.
** Coffee Years run from October 1 to September 30 – individual
shipment numbers recommence at 0001 every year.