MILAN – Logistical bottlenecks are not stopping Brazilian coffee exports from setting new all-time highs. According to data published yesterday (11 November), Brazil exported 4.926 million bags of all forms of coffee in October 2024: 11.6% more than a year ago, but more importantly, a 3.27% increase over the previous monthly high of 4.77 million, set in November 2020.
With a FOB price per bag 45.8% higher than in October last year, export earnings rose to a record $1.393 billion, up 62.6% on-year. Green coffee exports reached 4,567,131 bags (+10.5%).
Arabica volumes amounted to 3,695,960 bags (+7.2%). Robusta shipments slowed down, but still grew by 26.9% to 871,171 bags.
The trend for processed coffee was also positive, with foreign sales totalling 359,301 bags (+27.1%), mainly of soluble coffee.
Exports for the first 10 months of the calendar year 2024 also reached an unprecedented volume of 41,455,751 bags (+35.1%).
Green coffee shipments rose to 38,095,167 bags (+38.1%), of which 30,200,831 (+38.1%) were Arabica and 7,894,336 (+140%) Robusta. Exports of processed coffee totalled 3,360,584 bags (+8.6%).
Shipments to all major destinations during the Jan-Oct period were up, with the sole exception of Japan. Exports to Germany and the USA registered +77% and +31% increase respectively. Those to Belgium surged by a whopping +116.25%.
Exports to Italy also set a new record high, rising by more than a third (+34%) to 3,329,743 bags.
Also worth noting are the very strong increases in exports to Spain, The Netherlands and the Russian Federation.
It is also interesting to have a look at export figures to other coffee producing countries, which hold some notable surprises.
While exports to Colombia dropped sharply (-62.4%), reflecting a recovery in Colombian production, there was a boom in shipments to Mexico (+155.3%) and Vietnam (+432.8%). Brazil exported to Vietnam, the world’s second-largest producer of the commodity, over 600 thousand bags of coffee in 10 months. Exports to India also soared (1355.8%), exceeding 225,000 bags.
Antwerp was the main port of destination for Brazilian exports closely trailed by Hamburg. Bremen, New Orleans and Genoa followed at a distance (1,832,982 bags).
The positive trend was confirmed in the first four months of the current crop year (July-October). Brazilian coffee exports in all forms amounted to 17,074,555 bags (+17.9%).
Exports of green coffee equalled 15,649,128 bags (+18%), of which 12,031,418 million were Arabica (+12.1%) and 3,617,710 were Robusta (+42.9%). Exports of processed coffee were up by 17% to 1,425,427 bags.
