Brazilian Coffee: Exports Rose 3.1% in September Despite Drop in Revenue

Brazil exported 3.894 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee in September 2026, an increase of 3.1% compared with the 3.778 million bags shipped in the same month of 2025, according to the bulletin from the Conselho dos Exportadores de Café do Brasil (Cecafé). Despite the higher volume, foreign exchange revenue from these shipments fell 7.1% year-on-year, totaling US$1.282 billion.

Cecafé president Márcio Ferreira attributed the volume growth to the resumption of shipments to the United States following the removal of tariffs. He explained that in November 2025 Washington lifted duties on most Brazilian coffee, but soluble coffee remained subject to tariffs until July 2026, when it was finally added to the exemption list. In September, the United States imported 625,192 bags of all types of Brazilian coffee, an 86.4% jump from the 335,339 bags imported in the same month the previous year.

For the January-September 2026 period, Brazil exported 29.095 million bags of coffee, a volume that remained virtually stable (-0.2%) compared with the same period in 2025. Foreign exchange revenue, however, fell 8.6%, from US$11.065 billion to US$10.113 billion.

Ferreira explained that the drop in revenue was due to lower prices on the international market, to the lower quality of the first batches of exported arabica coffee -affected by rainfall- and to the increased share of canephora coffees, which naturally command lower prices than arabica, in total shipments.

Arabica coffee remained the most exported type between January and September, with 20.739 million bags (71.3% of the total), although down 10.7% year-on-year. Canephora coffees (conilon and robusta) totaled 5.162 million bags (17.7% of the total), up 68.3%, while soluble coffee totaled 3.141 million bags (10.8%). In terms of destinations, the United States overtook Germany and returned to the top of the ranking with 3.805 million bags purchased, 13.1% of the total despite a 12.8% year-on-year decline; Germany imported 3.307 million bags (down 11.4%), followed by Italy with 2.597 million (+11.6%), Belgium with 2.463 million (+44.5%) and Japan with 1.451 million (-23.3%).

The Port of Santos remained the main outlet for Brazilian coffee in the first nine months of the year, handling 20.573 million bags, or 70.7% of the total, followed by the Rio de Janeiro port complex with 7.335 million bags (25.2%), and the Port of Paranaguá with 312,128 bags (1.1%).