Brazilian coffee exports totaled 4,293 million 60 kg bags in March 2024, which represents an increase of 37,8% compared to the same period last year. This volume is a record for this month in the entire historical series of the statistical bulletin of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé). In revenue, performance is 35,2% higher in the same comparative interval, with foreign exchange inflows jumping from US$675,7 million, in March 2023, to the current US$913,6 million.
All types of coffee shipped by Brazil showed growth last month, with the highlight being canephoras, which increased 689,4% compared to March 2023.
“Given the relevant production of conilon in the 2023/24 harvest, which may be repeated in the 2024/25 cycle, Brazil has been able to meet international demand, overcoming difficulties caused by climate problems in Indonesia and Vietnam”, analyzes Márcio Ferreira, president sweet coffee.
During his participation in the Annual Convention of the National Coffee Association (NCA), in March, in the United States, he, however, found that, although the reduction in production exists in Vietnam, it is not as great as expected.
“We discovered, during our participation in the NCA Convention, that there was, in fact, a very large retention last year, possibly waiting for better prices. With the rise in the market, volumes shipped from Vietnam in the first quarter were very significant, rising by more than 40% compared to the same period of the previous year”, he explains.
“Indonesia, also from what we found in the NCA Convention – adds Ferreira –, suffered more from the impact of El Niño on its production. In addition to this, the increase in domestic consumption of the drink in the country also helps to reduce availability for shipments”.
In the domestic scenario, the president of Cecafé notes that, as a result of the higher prices of canephoras, a gradual reduction in the participation of conilon in industrial blends is already being observed, with the percentage approaching that observed in the years prior to the shortage of arabica, after the 2021 frost.
“The reduction of Robusta in blends has also been possible due to the significant recovery in Arabica crops in the last two years. And the start of the harvest of an expected good Arabica crop in 2024/25, starting in May, should further favor the increase of this species in the national blend”, he projects.
In the first nine months of the 2023/24 coffee season, Brazilian exports increased by 25,8%, going from 27,798 million bags, between July 2022 and March 2023, to the current 34,974 million. Gains in revenue were slightly lower at 9,3%, with US$6,989 billion inflows in the recent range.
Brazilian coffee shipments in the first quarter of this year reached 11,960 million bags, which represents an increase of 42,4% compared to the 8,4 million found in the same period in 2023. This is also the highest volume in the historical series Cecafé statistics for the first three months of each year. Foreign exchange revenue grew 38,2% in the period, to US$2,495 billion, the best performance in the last five years.
From January to March this year, Arabica coffee remains the most exported, with 9,199 million bags, which corresponds to 76,91% of the total and represents an increase of 27,8% compared to the first quarter of last year.
The canephora variety had 1,872 million bags shipped in the period, being the highlight among the product types, advancing 591,9% in relation to the same period in 2023 and increasing its current representation to 15,66% overall.
Next comes the soluble coffee segment, with 879,4 thousand bags – a drop of 4,4% and 7,35% of the total – and the roasted and roasted and ground product section, with 9.221 bags (-14,8 % and 0,08% representation).
“This year, we had the best March in history for exports of canephora coffees, which also generated record shipments of conilon and Robusta from Brazil in the first quarter”, points out the president of Cecafé.
Ferreira comments that performance continues to reflect the global market scenario, with this Brazilian species much more attractive in terms of price than its main competitors, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, and in terms of product quality, which has been gaining ground in new markets, including in producing countries.
"Mexico, for example, imported 286,5 thousand bags of green coffee (in natura) from Brazil, mainly conilon and Robusta, in the first quarter. This amount represents a significant increase of 1.000% compared to the same period in 2023. Mexicans are known for their soluble coffee plant, which means that Brazilian conilon and robusta meet the criteria of this segment well and serve as the basis for manufacturing the product that Mexicans consume and also re-export", he points out.
The president also praises the professional capacity of Brazilian coffee exporters, who, despite the logistical adversities they face in their own country, manage to honor the commitments made with international customers.
This opinion is based on obstacles registered in the country's ports. In March, according to the Detention Zero Bulletin (DTZ), prepared by ElloX Digital in partnership with Cecafé, the rate of delays of ships with coffee in Brazilian port complexes ranged from 14%, in the terminal of Salvador (BA), to 81% in the ports of Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
According to Ferreira, the level of delay or change in the scales of ships loading coffee at the Port of Santos, the main national outlet for the product, is worrying. This index was 80% last month – the third worst since January 2023 –, involving a total of 90 container ships, with the longest period for changing ports of call being 39 days.
The Port of Santos (SP), despite the aforementioned bottlenecks, remains the main exporter of Brazilian coffee abroad in the first quarter, with shipments of 8,379 million bags, which represents 70,1% of the total.
Next comes the Rio de Janeiro maritime complex, which accounts for 26,7% of exports, sending 3,198 million bags abroad, and the Port of Paranaguá (PR), with the shipment of 118.786 bags and representing 1,0 .XNUMX%.
The 10 main coffee buyers in Brazil increased their purchases in the first three months of this year. The United States leads the ranking, importing 2,032 million bags, or 30% more compared to the first quarter of 2023, which is equivalent to 17% of total exports.
Germany, with a representation of 14,5%, purchased 1,731 million bags (+57,4%) and occupied second place in the table. Next comes Belgium, with the purchase of 1,298 million bags (+186,2%); Italy, with 946.421 bags (+46,7%); and Japan, with 611.845 bags (+29,7%).
From sixth to tenth place, the performance of Mexico stands out, which jumped to ninth place in the ranking with the import of 317.360 bags of all types of coffee from Brazil, between January and March 2024, an amount that implies substantial growth in 721,5% compared to the first quarter of 2023 and equivalent to 2,7% of the total.
Coffees that have superior quality or certificates of sustainable practices account for 18% of total Brazilian exports of the product in the first quarter of 2024, with 2,158 million bags shipped abroad. This volume represents an increase of 29,6% compared to that recorded in the first three months of 2023.
The average price of the product was US$231,95 per bag, generating foreign exchange revenue of US$500,5 million, which corresponds to 20,1% of the amount obtained from total coffee shipments in the quarter. In the annual comparison, the value is 20,9% higher than that recorded in the same three months last year.
In the ranking of the main destinations for differentiated coffees, between January and March 2024, the USA remains in first place, with the purchase of 572.639 bags, equivalent to 26,5% of the total of this type of product exported.
Closing the top 5 are Germany, with 375.996 bags and a representation of 17,4%; Belgium, with 232.317 bags (10,8%); Netherlands (Netherlands), with 138.179 bags (6,4%); and the United Kingdom, with 94.330 bags (4,4%).
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
Receive the latest agriculture news by email
