Baka Co., Ltd., based in Ia Hrung commune, began exporting processed coffee to the United States through its partner Arobust LLC by the end of 2025.
Its products are now distributed through supermarkets in Virginia, including Good Fortune Supermarket, Cocos Food and Oh! Market.
The company’s Director, Phan Bá Kiên, said Baka had gradually met requirements covering product quality, food safety, production processes and standards related to HACCP, FDA and other import regulations.
“Although our current export volume is modest, we see this as a starting point”, Kiên said, adding that the company would continue strengthening its raw-material areas, quality controls and production processes while preserving the identity of its products.
Baka manages about 20 hectares of organically cultivated coffee in Ia Hrung and Biển Hồ communes and works with local producers across about 200 hectares. The company consumes nearly 500 tonnes of coffee annually.
To improve control over cultivation and harvesting, Baka encourages farmers to use biological products, harvest cherries when at least 90% are ripe and offers prices 15% to 20% above market rates.
The company uses the coffee to produce roasted and ground coffee, drip-bag coffee and instant coffee.
Specialty Robusta targets U.S. consumers
Another Gia Lai producer, AN-ANDICO Investment and Development Co., Ltd., is developing Fine Robusta specialty coffee in Kon Gang commune.
Deputy Director Nguyễn Thị Nga said product quality begins with the raw material and a distinctive preliminary processing method. In 2025, the company's Đak Yang Fine Robusta coffee scored 87.5 points under the Coffee Quality Institute.
“By September 2026, alongside Baka, Đak Yang coffee products have also appeared on the shelves of four supermarkets in Virginia,” Nga said.
According to the companies, their branded coffee currently sells in the United States for more than VND1 million ($38) per kilogram, with some products reaching VND1.5 million ($57) per kilogram. That is two to three times domestic prices, depending on the product.
The companies attribute the higher prices not simply to the coffee beans, but to the added value created through processing, packaging, branding and compliance with market requirements.
Expert Lê Trung Hưng, Vietnam’s first Q Grader instructor, said the distinctive characteristics of Gia Lai Robusta are shaped by altitude, soil, climate and cultivation, harvesting and processing methods.
“Gia Lai coffee should not dilute its identity to fit global tastes, but rather find ways to make that very identity a core part of its value,” Hưng said.
Kiên said Baka applies international specialty coffee standards while retaining characteristics associated with its raw-material regions and traditional techniques, including wood-fired roasting.
For AN-ANDICO, the product is also linked to local culture. Nga said the company explains the meaning of Đak Yang in the Bahnar language at overseas promotional events: “Đak” means water and “Yang” means god. The name is used to connect the coffee with the land, organic farming practices and Gia Lai's identity.
Deep processing seen as key to higher value
Baka and Đak Yang follow earlier Gia Lai brands such as L’amant Café and Tamba Coffee in reaching the U.S. market.
The National Coffee Association in the United States says a recent survey found that 66% of American adults drink coffee, while specialty coffee accounts for 48% of consumption.
The size of the U.S. market offers opportunities for Vietnamese companies to export under their own brands rather than relying primarily on raw coffee or contract manufacturing for foreign partners.
But gaining shelf space is only the first step.
Gia Lai has about 107,400 hectares of coffee, of which around 57,000 hectares are certified by domestic and international organizations under standards including Organic, Rainforest Alliance and 4C.
Yet only about 25% of the province's coffee undergoes deep processing, leaving substantial room to increase value through processing and brand development.
Nguyễn Đình Kha, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said Gia Lai has a strong foundation for developing its coffee industry through large and increasingly standardized raw-material areas.
The industry is also strengthening links with Vietnam’s overseas trade offices to help businesses update market information, understand import requirements and connect with potential partners.
For Gia Lai coffee producers, the path from highland plantations to U.S. supermarket shelves is therefore increasingly focused on more than export volumes.
Processing, quality control, branding and preserving the region's distinctive identity are becoming central to building long-term value in international markets.
