PANAMA coffee growers who to produce the world’s finest and most expensive specialty coffees which can cost hundreds of dollars a pound is targeting  China which has the potential to become its biggest export market.

Varieties of some of its most exotic products like geisha, bourbon and catuai coffee produced by eight companies are on display at Hotelex, the XXVII International Exhibition of Equipment and Food Services in Shanghai attracting baristas, tasters, and buyers from across Asia.

The participants are Hacienda Esmeralda, Elida Estate, La Mula, Finca Lérida, Hi Cofee, Geisha Farm, Don Pachi Estate and Café Volcán Barú.

The director of exports of Panama’s Ministry of Commerce, Jorge Suárez, said  China, one of the most important markets for geisha coffee.

In 2017, the special geisha coffee, the star of Panama's coffee production, was sold at a record price of $601 per pound (454 grams) at the XXI The Best of Panama electronic auction.

In 2016, coffee represented 0.6% of total food exports, increasing to 1.2% for 2017, going from $3.558 million to $7.604 million dollars, according to official figures.

The current main destination countries for Panamanian coffee exports are Germany, Australia, South Korea, the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy and Taiwan.