Port of Santos stands out in coffee exports as Brazil reaches new record

Brazil exported 46.4 million 60-kg bags of coffee from January to November this year (Carlos Nogueira/AT Archive)

Brazil exported 46.4 million 60-kg bags of coffee from January to November this year, a 32.2% increase compared to shipments during the same period last year (35.1 million bags). This result also surpasses the annual record set in 2020 (44.7 million bags). Of the total exported, 67.6% were shipped through the Port of Santos. The statistical report was released this Monday (9) by the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé). The main importers were the United States, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and Japan.

The monthly report also indicated that, in November, the country exported approximately 4.7 million bags, 5.4% higher than the same month in 2023 (4.4 million).

Ports The Port of Santos shipped 31.351 million bags of coffee between January and November this year, equivalent to 67.6% of Brazil's total coffee exports (46.4 million bags), according to Cecafé. During the same period in 2023, Santos port exported 25.1 million bags out of a total of 35 million, representing 71.8% of the country's shipments.

The Port of Rio de Janeiro (RJ) recorded the second-highest coffee shipment volume this year, with 13.084 million bags, corresponding to 28.2% of the total, followed by the Port of Vitória (ES), which exported 473,300 bags (1%).

Losses Despite the record achieved in exports, Cecafé reported that 1.7 million bags (5,200 containers) were not shipped between January and October (November figures are not yet finalized) due to delays, constant changes in ship schedules, and frequent cargo rollovers. Of this total, 70.6% are at Santos. The organization estimates that Brazil missed out on \$489.7 million (R\$ 2.8 billion).

Cecafé's president, Márcio Ferreira, stated that due to logistical bottlenecks at Brazilian ports, members incurred port-related losses amounting to R\$ 7 million in October. “These involve extra expenses with additional storage, detentions, pre-stacking, and gate advancements. For the cumulative period of 2024, these costs have already reached R\$ 30.4 million.”

Cecafé's technical director, Eduardo Heron, emphasized the need to expand yard and berth capacities and deepen the operational draft of ports to accommodate larger vessels. “Investments in highways, railways, and waterways are also necessary to promote multimodal transport diversification, enabling a more dynamic flow of cargo at ports.”