Ivory Coast’s cocoa regulator and exporters are bracing for severe port congestion in Abidjan and San Pedro this November and December, as a delayed main crop coincides with stricter European Union deforestation rules taking effect at year-end.
Ivory Coast’s Coffee and Cocoa Council is concerned that a delayed start to the 2026/27 main cocoa crop could lead to port congestion as exporters rush to ship before stricter European Union deforestation rules take effect at the year-end, industry sources said.
The council, the industry regulator in the world’s largest cocoa-producing country, said last week that the country was ready for the new rules. Two sources from the council and five exporters, however, said this week they expected congestion at the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro in November and December, adding storage capacity could be strained.
A “Looming Delay” of up to 10 Weeks
The main cocoa crop has been delayed by a combination of difficult weather conditions, insufficient farm maintenance, and the strength of the mid-crop, which delayed the development of the main crop. One source said the main crop would be delayed by eight to 10 weeks.
With this looming delay, we will find ourselves having to export enormous quantities in a short period in December,” an executive at a European export company in Abidjan said.
Even though the main season will begin on September 1, weekly arrivals are expected to stay below 15,000 metric tons in September and 25,000 tons in October. Main-crop volumes should begin arriving in late October or early November and increase through December.
The Volume Crunch
About 900,000 tons of cocoa are expected to reach Ivorian ports between October and December 2026, compared with an updated 1.1 million tons in the same period in 2025. Typically, ports receive 800,000 to 1 million tons over those three months.
The cocoa council expects total arrivals from the main crop, beginning from September and ending on February 28, 2027, to be no more than 1.4 million tons. Exporters forecast 1.4 million to 1.45 million metric tons.
Key Numbers at a Glance
| Metric | Forecast |
|---|---|
| Main crop arrivals (Sep 2026 – Feb 2027) | 1.4 million tons |
| Port arrivals (Oct – Dec 2026) | ~900,000 tons |
| Typical arrivals (Oct – Dec) | 800,000 – 1,000,000 tons |
| Sept weekly arrivals | Below 15,000 tons |
| Oct weekly arrivals | Below 25,000 tons |
| Main crop delay | 8 – 10 weeks |
One of the two cocoa council officials said the body would do everything possible to minimise the impact. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Source: The Accra Daily Mail
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
