Brazil exports 13,6 million bags of coffee in the year to May

Volume represents a drop of 19% compared to the same period in 2022 and reflects a slower start to the harvest and the little coffee remaining after two smaller harvests

13.06.2023 | 16:32 (UTC -3)
Cecafe
Volume represents a drop of 19% compared to the same period in 2022 and reflects a slower start to the harvest and the little coffee remaining after two smaller harvests; Photo: CNA
Volume represents a drop of 19% compared to the same period in 2022 and reflects a slower start to the harvest and the little coffee remaining after two smaller harvests; Photo: CNA

Brazilian coffee exports totaled 2,448 million 60 kg bags in May, generating foreign exchange revenue of US$544,8 million. In comparison with the fifth month of 2022, there were drops of 17,4% in volume and 22,6% in value. The data comes from the monthly statistical report of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).

With this performance, national coffee shipments, in the accumulated 11 months of the 2022/23 harvest year, reached 32,977 million bags, which implies a drop of 9,7% compared to the 36,501 million measured between July 2021 and May 2022.

Revenue, reflecting the higher average price of the product in the current range – US$ 228,83/bag against US$ 202,47/bag – increased 2,1% in the same comparison, totaling US$ 7,546 billion.

Civil year

From January to the end of May 2023, Brazil exported 13,577 million bags, a volume 19,3% lower than that recorded in the first five months of last year (16,823 million). Foreign exchange revenue was US$2,958 billion, falling 24,4% compared to the US$3,910 billion observed in the same previous period.

According to the president of Cecafé, Márcio Ferreira, the product's harvest in the country was approaching 20% ​​of what was expected at the end of May, remaining around 10 percentage points below the average of the last five years.

"This fact, combined with the little coffee remaining after smaller harvests in 2021 and 2022, significantly affected by climatic adversities, remembering that May is the penultimate month of the 2021/22 harvest, interferes with this current lower performance of shipments", he explains.

He notes that, with the arrival of coffees for the 2023/24 season, we will probably see an evolution in the volumes sent abroad by Brazil in the coming months.

"The national coffee belt has not suffered any impacts from the climate so far and the prospects are good for the new harvest, with importers showing a lot of buyer interest in our Arabicas", he says.

The president of Cecafé recalls that, in the first months of the year, the Brazilian variety, due to scarcity, was traded at a premium on the New York Stock Exchange, resulting in a substantial reduction in business.

“With the arrival of the new harvest, however, differentials have been adjusting to historical levels, with more negotiations, which will reflect higher volumes of shipments when compared to what we saw in these first five months of the year”, he projects.

Still according to Ferreira, Brazilian Robusta and Conilon coffees have been achieving price differentials close to those of Vietnam, which could heat up the international market for the variety.

"The consecutive years of good harvested volumes and the significant increases achieved on the international stock exchange, especially due to the expectation of a drop in the Indonesian harvest, mean that the scenario is also favorable for canephoras, as, with a more attractive differential, there has been greater demand of this variety, which should accelerate shipment volumes from June onwards", he adds.

main destinations

In the first five months of 2023, the United States remains the main importer of coffee from Brazil, with the acquisition of 2,512 million bags, a volume 23,1% lower than that recorded in the same period of 2022. This amount is equivalent to 18,5% of total Brazilian shipments in the interval.

Germany, with a representation of 12,5%, purchased 1,691 million bags (-46%) and occupied second place in the ranking. Next comes Italy, with imports of 1,110 million bags (-21,7%); Japan, with 837.437 bags (+14,2%); Belgium, with 630.260 bags (-62,3%); and Colombia, with 538.071 bags (-2,9%).

From seventh to tenth place, the performance is positive, with these nations increasing their purchases of coffee from Brazil. Turkey imported 460.446 bags, increasing its purchases by 34,9% compared to the first five months of 2022, and is followed by the Netherlands, with 422.277 bags (+43,6%); Argentina, with 379.418 bags (+23,4%); and France, with 377.376 bags (+7,7%).

By economic blocs, the 15,1% increase recorded for Asia is also worth highlighting, driven by the positive performances of Japan and Turkey, in addition to the strong growth in China. "The Chinese imported 281.329 bags of coffee from Brazil from January to May this year, which represents an increase of 99,2% over the same previous period and ranks the nation as the 14th main destination for the product", points out the president of Cecafé .

Other groups that stood out positively were the Middle East and Arab Countries, which increased their acquisitions by 35,4% and 50,2%, respectively. “In countries in these regions, there is a very intense characteristic of consuming Rio coffee. And Brazil is practically the only country that produces Arabica coffee with this drink characteristic, being a loyal supplier in quantity to these destinations”, concludes Ferreira.

Portos

The Santos maritime complex (SP) continues to be the main exporter of coffee from Brazil from January to May 2023, with the shipment of 10,379 million bags abroad, which is equivalent to 76,4% of the total. Next come the ports of Rio de Janeiro, which account for 18,5% of shipments, sending 2,506 million bags, and Paranaguá (PR), with exports of 198.640 bags and representing 1,5%.

Coffee types

Arabica coffee was the most exported between January and the end of May this year, with a volume equivalent to 11,466 million bags, which corresponds to 84,5% of the total. The soluble segment had 1,567 million bags shipped, representing 11,5%, followed by the canephora variety (robusta + conilon), with 526.065 bags (3,9%) and the roasted and roasted and ground product, with 18.047 bags (0,1%).

differentiated coffees

Coffees that have superior quality or certified sustainable practices accounted for 17,7% of total Brazilian exports of the product in the first five months of 2023, with 2,398 million bags sent abroad. This volume represents a drop of 4,6% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The average price of this product was US$247,66 per bag, providing revenue of US$594 million from January to the end of May, which corresponds to 20,1% of that obtained from total shipments. In the annual comparison, the value is 22,6% lower than that measured in the same previous interval.

In the ranking of the main destinations for differentiated coffees during the first five months of this year, the United States is at the top, with the acquisition of 665.389 bags, equivalent to 27,7% of the total of this type of product exported.

Closing the top 5 is Germany, with 329.266 bags and a representation of 13,7%; Belgium, with 250.734 bags (10,5%); Netherlands (Netherlands), with 116.615 bags (4,9%); and Italy, with 115.571 bags (4,8%).  

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