New EU rules put Ivory Coast cocoa trade under pressure

Cocoa traders, cooperatives and buying agents in Ivory Coast are struggling to use a new digital traceability system introduced ahead of new European Union rules on cocoa imports.

The challenges could slow cocoa purchases and deliveries at the start of the 2026/27 season, raising concerns about possible supply disruptions in October and November.

According to a Reuters report, Ivory Coast is the world’s largest cocoa producer, accounting for about 40% of global production, while around 70% of its cocoa exports go to Europe.

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The new system is part of preparations for the EU’s anti-deforestation rules, which will take effect on January 1, 2027. The rules require cocoa and other commodities imported into the EU to be traced back to their exact origin.

From the start of the new cocoa season on September 1, the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) has required all cocoa purchases to be recorded using an electronic producer card.

However, exporters say many buyers, cooperatives and field agents are still struggling to use the digital tools needed to record and trace cocoa purchases.

“The main issue is that buyers, cooperatives and field agents have not yet mastered the new digital purchasing and traceability tools,” a director of a European export company in Abidjan said.

Some exporters also said cooperatives and buying agents in rural cocoa-growing areas had not received all the equipment needed to operate the system.

“Our suppliers lack payment terminals, bags and seals to carry out purchases in rural areas,” another export company director said.

However, the CCC said it had completed the installation of payment terminals and was distributing equipment based on the volume of cocoa purchased by suppliers during the previous season.

The regulator said it had purchased 20,000 new payment terminals to support the new system.

CCC Director Yves Brahima Kone acknowledged that there were some challenges but said the difficulties were not serious.

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The development comes at a critical time for the global cocoa market, as any major disruption to Ivory Coast’s exports could affect international cocoa prices and supplies.

The CCC has been educating industry players about the new system since March, but exporters say some traders and cooperatives are still unfamiliar with the digital process.

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