Brazil's coffee exports fall 3,2% in October; revenue rises 30,5%

Brazilian coffee shipments totaled 3,471 million bags of 60 kg in October, showing a drop of 3,2% compared to the 3,587 million recorded in the same month of 2021. In foreign exchange revenue, the result showed growth of 30,5% in the same comparison, with the amounts received by the country jumping from US$653,4 million to the current US$852,5 million, the highest level since 2011. The data comes from the monthly statistical report of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).

In the first four months of the 2022/23 harvest, performance is similar, with remittances abroad falling 2,2% and foreign exchange revenue increasing 44,1% compared to the same period in the previous coffee cycle. From July to the end of October this year, Brazil exported 12,288 million bags, which generated US$2,948 billion for the country, a historic record for the period.

Civil year

According to data from Cecafé, the performance of shipments is also similar in the calendar year. Between January and October, 32,294 million bags were sent abroad, which implies a decline of 3,6% compared to the 33,514 million registered in the first 10 months of 2021. Revenue, in turn, grew 56,8%, reaching US$7,605 billion by the end of last month, a record value for the period.

According to the entity's president, Günter Häusler, the scenario remains similar to that observed in recent months, which justifies the performance measured in October, in the harvest year and in 2022.

"There was little progress, but without significant changes in the global export market, which continues with lower availability of containers, congested ships in ports in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly the USA and Europe, difficulties in obtaining bookings, cargo movements and very high costs, which which hinders the work of exporters. Furthermore, there is greater demand from the national industry for canephora coffees, limiting the shipment of this variety", he comments.

The growth in revenue, which is a historic record to date, according to Häusler, "results from the favorable exchange rate and the current levels of coffee prices on the market, which, despite recent drops, remain high". As an example, the average price of Brazilian exports in 2022 is US$ 235,49 per bag, which implies an increase of 62,7% compared to the US$ 144,73 per bag recorded between January and the end of October last year.

main destinations

Despite the drop recorded in the general volume shipped in the first 10 months of 2022, with the exception of Japan, the other main commercial partners of Brazil's coffees continue to expand their acquisitions. Between January and October, the United States remains at the top of the ranking, with imports of 6,598 million bags (20,4% of the total), a volume 1,4% higher than the 6,509 million purchased in the same period in 2021.

Completing the list of the top five destinations is Germany, with the acquisition of 5,744 million bags (+4,5%); Italy, with 2,760 million (+15,5%); Belgium, with 2,480 million bags (+9,0%); and Japan, with imports of 1,533 million bags (-26,1%).

Also worth highlighting is the performance of shipments to Colombia and the Netherlands, which grew 44,4% and 78,5%, respectively. With the purchase of 1,382 million bags, the Colombians occupy sixth place in the ranking, while the Dutch are in ninth place, importing 751.917 bags of Brazilian coffees from January to the end of October.

Coffee types

Arabica coffee remains the most exported in 2022, with 27,803 million bags shipped abroad, or 86,1% of the total. Instant coffee registered shipments equivalent to 3,118 million bags, accounting for 9,7%. Next comes the canephora variety (robusta + conilon), with exports of 1,333 million bags (4,1%), and the roasted and roasted and ground product, with 39.554 bags (0,1%).

differentiated coffees

Differentiated coffees, which have superior quality or some type of certificate of sustainable practices, accounted for 17,7% of total Brazilian exports of the product between January and October 2022, with 5,732 million bags shipped abroad. This volume represents a drop of 6,3% compared to the 6,116 million bags shipped by the country in the same period of the previous year.

The average price of the differentiated product was US$283,49 per bag, providing revenue of US$1,625 billion in the 10 months, which corresponds to 21,4% of that obtained from total shipments. In the annual comparison, the value is 38,7% higher than that recorded in the same previous interval.

In the ranking of the main destinations for differentiated coffees from January to October this year, the United States is at the top, with imports of 1,350 million bags, equivalent to 23,5% of the total of this type of product exported. Next comes Germany, with 1,009 million bags and a representation of 17,6%; Belgium, with 719.732 bags (12,6%); Italy, with 363.258 bags (6,3%); and Japan, with 274.735 bags (4,8%).

Portos

The main source of coffee shipments from Brazil in 2022 is the Santos maritime complex (SP), with 26,168 million bags sent abroad, which is equivalent to 81,0% of the total. The ports of Rio de Janeiro appear next, with the shipment of 4,680 million bags, from January to October, representing 14,5%. Paranaguá (PR), with the shipment of 299.172 bags (0,9%), closes the top 3.