Brazil’s coffee exports reached a record-breaking 50.4 million 60-kg bags in 2024, driven by exceptional growth across almost all segments, according to Brazilian agricultural news portal Estadão Agro.
December 2024 alone saw exports totaling 3.808 million bags, an 8.1% increase compared to December 2023, generating a 42.2% rise in foreign exchange revenue, amounting to US$1.145 billion. This robust year-end performance pushed total exports for 2024 to US$12.515 billion, reflecting a 28.5% increase in volume and a 55.4% increase in revenue compared to 2023, marking Brazil’s strongest coffee export performance on record.
Marcos Matos, General Director of the Coffee Exporters Council of Brazil (Cecafé), highlighted that 2024 was “a year in which we exported sustainability, quality, credibility, and diversity.” He acknowledged that these achievements came despite significant logistical challenges, as infrastructure struggles to match the sector’s growth.
Export Highlights
- Arabica coffee: Maintained its leadership, accounting for 73.2% of total exports with 36.946 million bags, a 19.8% increase from 2023.
- Robusta and conilon coffees: Saw an extraordinary 97.9% growth, reaching 9.356 million bags, making up 18.5% of total exports.
- Soluble coffee: Increased by 13%, reaching 4.093 million bags, the second-highest total for this category.
- Roasted or ground coffee: Declined by 5%, contributing only 48,687 bags, representing a mere 0.1% of exports.
Top Destinations
The United States remained the top importer, purchasing 8.131 million bags (16.1% of total exports), a 34% increase from 2023. Germany followed closely, importing 7.590 million bags (15%), reflecting a 51.3% rise. Belgium ranked third with a 96.4% increase, importing 4.348 million bags (8.6%).
Challenges in Logistics
Despite the record-breaking performance, logistical issues created significant hurdles for exporters. Cecafé President Márcio Ferreira revealed that limited infrastructure resulted in additional storage and handling fees totaling nearly US$1.97 million in 2024. Additionally, approximately 1.6 million bags of coffee remain stranded at Brazilian ports due to shipping delays and schedule disruptions for 200 vessels.
“This situation is very detrimental to Brazilian agriculture, where margins are already tight,” remarked Matos.
While the sector anticipates further growth in 2025, resolving infrastructure and logistical bottlenecks remains a critical challenge for sustaining Brazil’s coffee export momentum.