An Origin Partner for Cocoa Beans Importers
If you import cocoa beans into the United States, your supplier decides how smooth the rest of the job is. Makay Global Trading sells fermented Cameroon cocoa beans to U.S. importers under a written contract, with specifications and shipping terms settled before anything is loaded.
You handle the import. We handle origin, preparation and the paperwork that has to leave Douala with the cargo.
U.S. COCOA BEAN IMPORTS
A USA cocoa beans importer needs four things from a supplier: a written contract, agreed limits for moisture, fermentation and defects, a clear Incoterm, and export documents that match what U.S. Customs, the FDA and the USDA check at the port of entry.
The United States grows almost no cocoa. Outside a small crop in Hawaii, every bean that reaches an American factory has been imported by someone. USDA figures put U.S. imports of raw cocoa beans at more than $1.1 billion a year across 2017 to 2021, most of it from Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador and Ghana.
Cameroon gives importers another African origin to work with. The country marketed about 248,000 metric tons of cocoa in the 2025/26 season, according to its National Cocoa and Coffee Board. You can read how we source it on our supply model and responsible sourcing pages.
Raw cocoa beans enter the U.S. under HTS 1801.00.00, with a general duty rate of free.
The Importer Security Filing is due 24 hours before the container is loaded at origin.
FDA Prior Notice must be confirmed at least 8 hours before an ocean vessel arrives.
Lots with more than 4% moldy or more than 4% insect-damaged beans can be refused.
Fermented and dried, about 8% moisture, minimum 75% fermentation, 60 to 65 kg jute bags.
FOB Douala, with CFR or CIF on request. The buyer is importer of record.
U.S. IMPORT REQUIREMENTS
Three agencies touch a cocoa shipment: Customs and Border Protection, the FDA and the USDA. This table lists what each one asks for and who normally takes care of it.
Requirements for importing cocoa beans into the USA
| Requirement | What it means | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff code and duty | HTS 1801.00.00, general rate free. Any additional duties in force are added on top | Customs broker |
| Importer Security Filing | ISF (10+2) filed at least 24 hours before loading at the foreign port | Importer or broker |
| FDA Prior Notice | Filed and confirmed before arrival. For ocean cargo, at least 8 hours ahead | Importer or broker |
| FDA facility registration | Foreign facilities that process, pack or hold the beans for U.S. consumption must be registered | Supplier side |
| FSVP | An FSVP importer is named on every food entry. How much verification is needed depends on who controls the hazards | Importer |
| Customs entry and bond | Formal entry for commercial cargo, backed by a single-entry or continuous bond | Broker, on the importer’s bond |
| USDA APHIS | Check current entry conditions for Cameroonian cocoa in the ACIR database. Cargo can be inspected on arrival | Importer |
| Wood packaging | Pallets and dunnage must be ISPM-15 treated and marked | Supplier and shipper |
| Shipping documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and the certificates agreed in the contract | Makay, checked by your broker |
Last reviewed: October 2026. This is general guidance, not legal or customs advice. Official sources: USITC tariff schedule, FDA Prior Notice, CBP Importer Security Filing and USDA APHIS ACIR.
STEP BY STEP
The order matters. Two of these filings have deadlines that fall before the vessel even leaves Douala, so line up your broker first.
Your broker files the entry, and a continuous bond makes sense if you plan more than a shipment or two a year.
Put numbers on moisture, fermentation and defects, and name the port and the inspection method.
The FDA expects a U.S. party to be identified on each entry, with records to back it up.
Late or inaccurate filings can bring penalties and holds, so send your broker the booking details early.
It is usually filed with the customs entry through the same system.
Your broker classifies the beans under HTS 1801.00.00 and pays any duties and fees due. CBP agriculture specialists or the FDA may examine the cargo.
Arrange drayage to your warehouse, then check weights and quality against the contract while claim deadlines are still open.
Price gets the attention, but these four checks decide whether a lot clears the port and runs well in the plant.
Wet beans mold in transit. Our standard is approximately 8%. Agree a maximum in the contract and ask for the test result, not just the stated figure.
A cut test shows what's inside the bean. We work to a minimum of 75% fermented, and the count for slaty and defective beans belongs in the contract too.
The FDA can act when more than 4% of beans are moldy, more than 4% are insect-infested or damaged, or more than 6% combined. Set your own limits below that.
Cocoa sweats at sea. Ask how the container is lined and whether desiccants are used, and make sure any pallets or dunnage meet ISPM-15.
Defect figures are from the FDA Food Defect Levels Handbook. See how Makay handles quality assurance and the full spec table on our bulk cocoa beans page.
The Incoterm decides who books the vessel, who insures the cargo and what your landed cost really is.
| Term | Makay arranges | You arrange | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOB Douala | Export clearance and loading on board at Douala | Ocean freight, insurance, U.S. entry | Importers with their own freight contracts |
| CFR | The above, plus ocean freight to your named U.S. port | Marine insurance, U.S. entry | Buyers who want freight in the price but keep their own cover |
| CIF | The above, plus minimum cargo insurance | U.S. entry and inland delivery | Buyers who want one price to the port |
Under all three terms, risk passes to the buyer once the cargo is on board at origin, and U.S. customs clearance remains the importer’s job.
Under all three terms, risk passes to the buyer once the cargo is on board at origin, and U.S. customs clearance remains the importer’s job.
WHY MAKAY
You deal with a U.S.-registered company in Clayton, Missouri. Same time zones, same business language, one commercial contact.
Moisture, fermentation, defects and packaging are written into the contract, then checked before the cargo is released.
Buy FOB Douala and run your own freight, or ask for a CFR or CIF quote to your U.S. port.
We agree the document list before booking, so your broker isn't chasing a missing certificate while the container waits.
Send your tonnage, U.S. destination port, target arrival date and the specifications your plant or customers expect.
We match your needs against available lots and talk through samples or test results for your technical review.
You get a price, its validity period, the payment method and the shipping basis: FOB Douala, CFR or CIF.
Quality, quantity, inspection, documents and each side's responsibilities are recorded in writing.
The cargo is checked against the contract, bag weights are verified and the container is prepared for loading.
Once payment and export requirements are met, the cargo sails and you receive the agreed records for U.S. entry.
WHO WE SERVE
Some of our buyers import to resell. Others import because their own plant needs the beans. Either way, the conversation starts with what you do with the cocoa once it lands.
FAQS
Can’t find your answer ? Email sales@makayglobaltrading.com or call +1 800 965 8307.
Makay is a U.S.-based commodity trading company and the contractual seller of the cocoa. We supply U.S. importers. On FOB Douala, CFR and CIF sales, the buyer acts as importer of record and clears the cargo through U.S. Customs.
You need a licensed customs broker, a customs bond, an Importer Security Filing lodged 24 hours before loading, FDA Prior Notice, an FSVP importer named on the entry, and shipping documents that match the cargo. Check USDA APHIS entry conditions and ISPM-15 rules for wood packaging as well.
Raw cocoa beans are classified under HTS 1801.00.00, and the general duty rate is free. Additional trade duties have changed several times since 2025, so confirm the rate in force with your customs broker before you price a contract.
The FDA’s defect action levels for cocoa beans are more than 4% of beans moldy by count, more than 4% insect-infested or insect-damaged, or more than 6% for the two combined. Lots above these levels can be refused entry, so set your contract limits tighter.
U.S. importers can buy on FOB Douala terms and arrange their own ocean freight and insurance. CFR and CIF quotations to a named U.S. port are available on request. Under all three terms, U.S. customs clearance stays with the importer.
Most cocoa enters through the East Coast. Exchange-licensed cocoa warehouses sit in the port districts of New York, the Delaware River (the Philadelphia and Camden area), Hampton Roads, Albany and Baltimore. Tell us your preferred port and we’ll quote to it where CFR or CIF is available.
Cameroon’s cocoa season opens in August and runs to mid-July of the following year. Availability and quality vary across the season, so share your purchasing calendar early and we can match your shipment window to supply at origin.
Depending on destination and contract, records may include a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, and weight or quality reports. We settle the required list with you before booking.
Yes, ask us about sample availability and dispatch costs. Tell us which tests you plan to run, because your results can help set the acceptance criteria for the purchase that follows.
We sell in container quantities, and the minimum depends on the lot and shipment arrangement. Put your tonnage in the inquiry and we’ll tell you whether it can be accommodated.
Tell us your quantity, destination port, specifications and delivery schedule.
Our team will review your requirements and send available supply options.
Cameroon Origin. Global Reach. Trusted Cocoa Supply. International cocoa sourcing, trading, and supply for commercial buyers.
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