Brazil exported 4.4 million bags of coffee in May, surpassing the previous record for the month and reporting a 79.9% increase compared to May 2023.
Revenue from coffee exports increased 85.9% year-on-year, to $1.02 billion (€950 million), according to data published by the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).
In 11 months of the 2023/24 crop year, coffee exports totaled 43.707 million bags, while for the period January-May 2024, they reached a record 20.69 million bags, a 52.1% increase over the same period in 2023.
Revenue hit $4.47 billion (€4.18 billion), a record high and a significant 50.8% increase compared to 2023.
Overall Record
Brazil is on track to potentially break its overall coffee export record for the current cycle. Currently, the country is only two million bags shy of the record set in the 2020/21 season, and with consistent monthly shipments exceeding four million bags since October 2023, achieving a new record seems likely.
A significant contributor to this export boom is the exceptional performance of canephora coffees (including conilon and Robusta varieties). May saw exports of 868,270 bags of canephora, pushing the year-to-date total to a record 7.412 million bags and showing growth of 559.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
Arabica Exports
However, Arabica coffee remains the dominant export, accounting for 75.7% of the total volume shipped from January to May 2024, with a 36.3% increase compared to 2023.
The canephora variety comes next and represents 16.6% of the total, followed by the soluble coffee segment, with 1.580 million bags (+0.7% and 7.6% of the total).
Cecafé attributes this success partly to the uncertainties surrounding coffee supplies from major global producers like Vietnam and Indonesia, creating an opportunity for Brazilian coffee to fill the gap and solidify Brazil’s position as a leading exporter.
