SAO PAULO – Arab countries’ imports of Brazilian coffee were up 32%. The country shipped 1.3 million 60-kilogram bags to the region year-to-date through November this year, as against 995,500 bags in the same period last year. Revenues from exports to Arab countries have also increased, by 3%, from US$ 195 million to US$ 201.2 million.
Still, Arab countries account for a small share of total Brazilian coffee exports. They answer to 5% of overall shipments. Year-to-date through November last year, the rate was even lower at 4%. The share has increased by 1 percentage point during the period. The figures were supplied by the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (CeCafé).
Brazil exported a total of 28.2 million bags of coffee year-to-date through November. The amount is up 11.4% from the same period in 2012. Export revenues were down 17.9% to US$ 4.73 billion. In November alone, the volume shipped declined by 10.3% to 2.5 million bags. Revenues were down 39.2% to US$ 361.6 million.
The fact that revenues declined by a higher rate than the volume shipped indicates that Brazilian coffee has been exported at lower prices this year.
The record-high crop in Brazil also helped drive prices down. The beginning of harvesting in coffee producing regions such as Central America and Colombia has also caused a reduction in price.
Year-to-date through November, Arabica coffee accounted for 84.9% of Brazilian exports, soluble coffee accounted for 10.7%, Robusta coffee accounted for 4.3%, and ground and roasted coffee answered to 0.1%.
Europe was the main importing region at 54%. North America ranked second at 22%¨, followed by Asia at 17% and South America at 3%. Most of the coffee was shipped out of the Port of Santos.
Source: ANBA
