A barista pours coffee in Shanghai. [Photo by Xing Yi/China Daily]

The new Shanghai Hongqiao International Coffee Harbor was launched in Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center on April 29 – its opening an important part of the May 5 Shopping Festival in Shanghai city in East China, local media reported.

According to Cai Jun, manager of the Shanghai Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center, the enormous size of China's coffee market is expanding year by year.

The new facility is expected to become an international import and export trading platform, through the display and sales of coffee products covering the whole industry supply chain. A trading market in green coffee beans will also be set up, to boost and develop domestic coffee demand, Cai said.

It is designed for training and authentication, as well as to set Chinese standards – including the rating of green coffee beans for coffee professionals and boutique cafes, Cai added.

The Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center Price Issue Center was unveiled on the same day.

Shanghai is the leading city in China in terms of its coffee consumption, with each resident drinking an average of around 20 cups a year, according to a report published by the Rising Lab, a research arm of the Yicai business media group in the city.