Coffee exports decrease 24.9% in March

Most of the coffee is currently exported through containers, especially at the Port of Santos (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

Brazil exported 3.287 million 60-kg bags of coffee in March this year, a 24.9% decrease compared to the same month in 2024. The foreign exchange revenue, however, grew by 41.8% during the same period, reaching US\$ 1.321 billion. The data comes from the monthly statistical report of the Coffee Exporters Council of Brazil (Cecafé) and was released this Wednesday (9).

With last month’s performance, Brazil has accumulated shipments of 36.885 million bags in the first nine months of the 2024/25 harvest, bringing in a record US\$ 11.095 billion in foreign exchange for this period. Compared to the period from July 2023 to March 2024, there was a 5% increase in volume and a 58.2% increase in revenue.

Civil year In the first quarter of 2025, Brazil exported 10.707 million bags of coffee, an 11.3% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. Foreign exchange revenue, on the other hand, increased by 54.3% during this period, reaching US\$ 3.887 billion.

“It is understandable that there was a reduction in export volumes after a record year in 2024 and three harvests that did not reach their full production potential. Moreover, logistical bottlenecks at the country’s ports persist, which impact export performance and further increase the costs for exporters”, explained Márcio Ferreira, president of Cecafé.

On the other hand, according to him, the increase in foreign exchange revenue reflects high international market prices, a scenario that could change in the future due to new trade policies and economic conflicts between the world’s major economies.

“Futures markets have been recording high prices for months due to the global supply decrease caused by extreme weather events, which affected productivity in coffee plantations of key producers like Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia in recent years”, says Ferreira.

He also explains that there is a noticeable cooling of the market due to uncertainties caused by the tariff hikes proposed by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, which have affected all economies and caused stock markets to tumble.

Main destination The United States was the main destination for Brazilian coffee in the first quarter of 2025, importing 1.806 million bags, accounting for 16.9% of the total, despite a 11.7% decrease compared to the period from January to the end of March 2024.

Germany, with 13.1% of the share, purchased 1.403 million bags (-19.3%) and ranked second. Following them were Italy, with 800,318 bags imported (-15.8%); Japan, with 675,192 bags (+10.1%); and Belgium, with 500,300 bags (-60.9%).

Types of coffee In the first quarter of this year, Arabica coffee was the most exported by Brazil, with 9.012 million bags shipped abroad. This amount represents 84.2% of the total, even with a slight decrease of 2.7% compared to the same period in 2024.

Next, the soluble coffee segment, with 977,605 bags exported, saw an increase of 7.9% compared to the first three months of last year. This type of coffee accounted for 9.1% of the total exports in the current period.

Canephora coffees (conilon + robusta), with 703,168 bags — a 62.8% decrease , representing 6.6% of the total — and roasted and ground coffee, with 13,894 bags (+46.1% and 0.1% share), completed the list.

Differentiated coffes Coffees with sustainability certifications or superior quality accounted for 26.4% of total Brazilian exports in the first quarter of 2025, with 2.825 million bags shipped abroad. This volume is 31% higher than that recorded from January to March of last year.