The Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé) participated, between March 12 and 14, in the "2026 NCA Convention", in Tampa, Florida, in the United States, an event that brought together approximately 800 professionals from the global coffee industry, including industry leaders and decision-makers from across the production chain, for networking, information exchange and interaction.
"We are sincerely grateful to the National Coffee Association (NCA) for organizing an exceptional event that highlighted the best of the North American coffee industry. Brazil had a prominent presence, both in terms of positioning and booth space at the convention. We were with hundreds of professionals from across the sector, promoting discussions, networking, and knowledge sharing. It was a fantastic opportunity to align strategies and explore new opportunities," emphasizes the general director of Cecafé, Marcos Matos, who participated in person along with the organization's president, Márcio Ferreira.
Beyond simply attending the event, Brazilian participation focused on conversations and alignment with North American counterparts regarding current challenges to coffee farming, such as tariffs imposed by the US government on coffee imported from Brazil, the investigation of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, opened by the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and other investigations.
According to the director-general of Cecafé, currently, green, roasted, and roasted and ground coffee from Brazil are exempt from tariffs, but soluble coffee remains subject to a 10% tariff to enter the US market. This is higher, for example, compared to Mexico, which has zero tariffs, is the largest supplier of the product to Americans, and is taking market share from Brazilian coffee in that market.
“There are also the risks that investigations based on the Trade Act and labor-related lawsuits filed in US courts pose to Brazilian coffee. Therefore, in partnership with the NCA, especially the Washington staff, and ABICS (Brazilian Soluble Coffee Industry Association), with the participation of ABIC (Brazilian Coffee Industry Association), we are being proactive in defending our coffee sector to anticipate risks and work to prevent the product from being subject to new tariffs,” Matos added.
This alignment, focused on strategies, challenges, and opportunities, according to him, occurred during the NCA Convention and, mainly, in a meeting scheduled by Cecafé with the NCA and its Washington team, with the participation of ABICS and ABIC, on March 12, and in a meeting of global entities on the 14th.
At the convention, the national delegation had a prominent booth where it showcased the innovative "ESG+T" concept, which marks the sectoral repositioning and updating of the "Cafés do Brasil" brand. This concept highlighted technology as a central element in the tradition and sustainable transformation of Brazilian coffee farming, through respect for the environment and people, and emphasized that this technology is the driving force for Brazilian coffee farming to cultivate innovation and reap development.
“Our booth, which had the Coffee Museum as a partner and sponsor, was a hub of activity, with visitors eager to learn about the innovations in Brazilian coffee and, of course, to taste our exceptional coffees. Its strategic location next to the main hall, where the key themes of the event, such as economics, sustainability, and market trends, were debated, made the Brazilian space an ideal place for networking,” reveals Matos.
The repositioning of the "Cafés do Brasil" brand was carried out by the agency Design Bridge and Partners and included contributions from the entire production chain, through ABIC, ABICS, Cecafé, the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), the National Coffee Council (CNC), the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa).
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