Indonesian Coffee Export to Egypt: ACID (Nafeza) 2025 Guide

A field-tested, coffee-specific walkthrough of Egypt’s ACID/ACI requirements for 2025. Who requests the ACID, exact HS codes for green/roasted/instant, the document set you need in CargoX, timelines, common rejection reasons, and what to do if details change after issuance.

If you’ve ever had a container stuck because of ACID, you know it’s not “just a number.” It’s the switch that turns your Egypt-bound shipment on or off. We’ve moved a lot of Indonesian coffee into Alexandria and Damietta, and in 2025 the rules are consistent but unforgiving. Here’s the exact, coffee-specific workflow we follow so you don’t lose weeks to avoidable errors.

What ACID/ACI is and why it matters in 2025

ACID is the Advanced Cargo Information Declaration number issued by Egypt’s NAFEZA single window. Your Egyptian buyer pre-registers a shipment on NAFEZA and receives a unique ACID. As the exporter, you then submit your documents via CargoX tied to that same ACID. Carriers will not load without it, and Egypt Customs will reject arrivals that don’t have it printed on the Bill of Lading and on all key docs.

In our experience, the process has stabilized since late 2023. The expectations in 2025 are clear. Timely pre-registration. Accurate HS codes. Consistent data across invoice, packing list, B/L and certificates.

Who does what: importer vs exporter

Who generates the ACID for coffee shipments—the Egyptian buyer or the Indonesian exporter?

The Egyptian importer generates it. They pre-register the shipment on NAFEZA with your company details, HS code, planned quantities and values. Once issued, they share the ACID with you. You must be KYC-verified on CargoX to send the required documents referencing that ACID.

What we do on the exporter side:

Register and KYC-verify on CargoX once. This is a one-time setup.
Prepare the final document set that exactly matches the ACID data.
Upload and transfer documents in CargoX to NAFEZA under the correct ACID before loading.

HS codes: green vs roasted vs instant coffee

Which HS code do I use for green vs roasted vs instant coffee when requesting ACID?

Use HS chapter 09 for coffee beans and 21 for extracts/preparations. Egypt works with the WCO structure. Your importer’s broker will provide the 10-digit national code, but you should align at 6 digits at minimum.

Green coffee beans: HS 0901.11 (not roasted, not decaffeinated). For decaf green, 0901.12.
Roasted coffee beans/ground: HS 0901.21 (roasted, not decaffeinated). For decaf roasted, 0901.22.
Coffee extracts and instant coffee: HS 2101.11 (extracts, essences and concentrates of coffee). Preparations with coffee are generally 2101.12.

Overhead view of three bowls showing green unroasted beans, roasted beans, and instant coffee granules to visually distinguish product types.

A practical tip. If you’re shipping Indonesian green arabica like Blue Batak Green Coffee Beans or Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans, your ACID request should show 0901.11. If your buyer toggles to roasted formats (for retail), align to 0901.21.

Step-by-step ACID workflow for Indonesia-to-Egypt coffee in 2025

Week -4 to -2: KYC and pairing

Exporter completes CargoX KYC. This usually takes 1–3 business days.
Importer ensures they’re active on NAFEZA and confirms their customs broker.
Both sides exchange exact legal names, addresses, and tax IDs as they appear in systems. Typos are the number one cause of first-time rejections.

Week -2 to -1: ACID request on NAFEZA

The importer submits the ACID request using the proforma or pre-invoice values, HS code and exporter details. They receive the ACID typically within hours if data is clean.
They share the ACID with you immediately.

Week -1 to -0.5: Finalize documents to match ACID

You issue the commercial invoice and packing list using the exact names, HS code, currency, Incoterms and quantities used in the ACID request.
For green beans, start the phytosanitary certificate process early. Egypt frequently asks for it at destination, and ACI reviewers do look for it in CargoX.

At least 48 hours before vessel departure: CargoX submission

Upload and transfer the documents to NAFEZA via CargoX under the correct ACID. We aim for 3–4 days before ETD for buffer.
The importer and broker review and acknowledge receipt in NAFEZA.

Before loading: carrier validation

The shipping line will require the ACID on the B/L. They will not load if ACID is missing or mismatched.

Post-sailing

Upload the final B/L to CargoX if you used a draft earlier. Keep everything consistent. If something changes, see the “Changes” section below.

The document set that works for coffee (and how it maps to ACI fields)

Mandatory for most coffee shipments:

Commercial Invoice. Maps to buyer name and address, seller name and address, HS code, Incoterms, currency, unit price, total value. Be meticulous with currency and Incoterms.
Packing List. Maps to net and gross weights, number of bags/sacks, pallets, lot IDs. Match coffee bag count and pallet count exactly.
Bill of Lading (or draft). Must show ACID in the remarks field, along with importer and exporter names matching the invoice.
Certificate of Origin. Country of origin must be Indonesia. Names must match invoice and B/L. We often provide the COO early to avoid surprises.
Phytosanitary Certificate. Expected for HS 0901.11/0901.12. It should reference the same lot IDs and quantities as the packing list. For roasted coffee, some buyers submit a health certificate instead.

Nice-to-have or case-by-case:

Fumigation certificate. Some importers ask for this for warehouse procedures in Egypt.
Insurance certificate if Incoterms require it.

Practical takeaways:

Every document must display the ACID. We include it in the header and in the remarks.
Use a single, consistent unit of measure across all docs. Kgs throughout. No mixed lbs/kg.

Timelines you can actually plan around

How long does ACID approval take in 2025 for Indonesian coffee to Egypt?

ACID issuance on NAFEZA: same day to 1 business day if importer data is clean.
CargoX KYC for a new exporter: 1–3 business days.
ACI review of documents after CargoX transfer: often within hours, but budget 24–48 hours before ETD to be safe.

Do I need the ACID number before booking or just before loading the coffee?

Carriers typically allow booking without ACID. But they won’t load without it printed on the B/L. We prefer getting ACID before booking so everyone is looking at the same data and to avoid last-minute scrambles.

Changes, rejections and worst-case scenarios

Can I change invoice value or quantity after the ACID is issued for a coffee shipment?

Minor changes can be amended by the importer in NAFEZA, then you re-upload an amended invoice via CargoX. If the changes are material, create a new ACID. Our rule of thumb: if HS code changes, the seller or buyer changes, or the value/quantity shifts enough to affect duty assessment, request a new ACID. It’s faster than arguing at the quay.

What documents must I upload on CargoX for coffee so the ACID isn’t rejected?

At minimum: final invoice, packing list, B/L draft, COO, and phytosanitary for green coffee. Make sure all show the ACID and identical names, addresses, HS code and weights. Low-resolution scans and unsigned documents are common rejection triggers.

Common ACID rejection reasons for coffee and how to fix them

Name or address mismatch between NAFEZA and documents. Copy-paste legal names from registration pages.
HS 0901 vs 2101 confusion. If you’re sending instant coffee, 2101.11 is correct, not 0901.
Missing ACID on the B/L or invoice. Put it in the header and remarks.
Weight inconsistencies. Net vs gross errors between the packing list and B/L. Align your pallet weights and sack counts.
Phytosanitary missing for green beans. Start the process early and match lot IDs to the packing list.

What happens if the coffee sails without an ACID number on the bill of lading?

Best case, the carrier refuses to load. Worst case, it loads and Egypt Customs orders return or re-export at your cost. You’ll pay demurrage, storage and a lot of stress. We’ve seen weeks lost this way. Don’t test it.

Costs, validity and a few 2025 notes

CargoX costs for exporters. Budget roughly USD 25–50 per shipment on the exporter side depending on how many documents you transfer. You purchase CargoX tokens to pay these fees. Pricing can change, so check your dashboard before you start.
NAFEZA fees are paid by the importer in Egypt.
ACID validity. Typically valid for 90 days from issuance. If you miss the window or change core data, cancel and request a new ACID.

Coffee-specific wrinkles we’ve learned the hard way

Bag counts and marks. Egypt warehouse checks are strict. Make sure bag markings on the packing list match reality. If we list 320 jute bags of 60 kg, the B/L should say the same.
Moisture lines. For green coffee, we include moisture content on the analysis sheet when buyers ask. Not mandatory for ACID, but it reassures inspectors.
Vintage and process claims. If you’re shipping aged profiles like Musty Cup Green Coffee Beans (Aged Arabica), keep the process notes consistent across invoice, COO and any quality sheets so there’s no confusion about product identity.

When our products make sense for Egypt buyers

Most Egypt importers we work with prefer robust chocolate-forward bases with manageable acidity. For green coffee under HS 0901.11, buyers often shortlist:

Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans for body and low acidity.
Java Preanger Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans for floral-spice complexity.
Flores Green Coffee Beans (Grade 1) when they want citrus-chocolate balance. If you’re curating a shipment, we can align samples to your target profile while we pre-check ACID data. You can also browse the full list here: View our products.

Quick takeaways and next steps

The importer requests ACID on NAFEZA. The exporter sends documents via CargoX tied to that ACID.
Use 0901.11 for green beans, 0901.21 for roasted, 2101.11 for instant/extracts.
Upload the complete set at least 48 hours before ETD. Aim for 3–4 days.
Keep names, HS, counts and weights identical across all documents. Put ACID on each document and the B/L.
If core details change, cancel and get a fresh ACID. It’s faster than fixing a hard stop.

Need help sanity-checking your HS code and document set before you book? In our experience, a 15-minute review avoids 90% of rejections. If you want us to take a quick look, just Contact us on whatsapp.