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Continentleadsglobalcoffeeimportsand
iscapturingtheattentionofBrazil,main
exporterofthesegment
T
he European Union and the
United States are the leading
buyers of coffee in the world
(two thirds of the total), but it is
Asia that is responsible for the
fastest growing trend in demand and im-
ports. The five main importers of the Asian
continent (Japan, Philippines, China, South
Korea and Malaysia) increased their pur-
chases by 27.95% from 2006 to 2015, say
sources from the Coffee Competitive Intelli-
gence Bureau, of the Research Consortium
coordinated by Embrapa Coffee.
The highlights, according to the study,
were China and Malaysia, with increas-
es, respectively, of 218% and 140% in im-
ports over the period, followed by the Phil-
ippines and South Korea, percentage rates
close to60%. Furthermore, data releasedby
the International Coffee Organization (ICO)
on global consumption from 2012 to 2015,
registered by the Brazilian Coffee Export-
ers Council (CECafé) in its 2016 final report,
ratify the most expressive average increase
(3.7%) occurred in Asia andOceania.
The biggest portion of the rising imports
in Asia, according to the Research Consor-
tium, was fulfilled by Vietnam, country that
is part of the continent, second biggest pro-
ducer and exporter of coffee in the world,
coming only after Brazil, but number one
in the supply of Robusta, which is preferred
by the people of that country. Vietnam ex-
panded by 54.79% its sales to the five above
mentioned countries and, in themeantime,
Brazilian coffee trade in these markets was
expanded by 24.84%, which, even so, was
close to the total registered increase.
Although taking this rate as satisfactory,
the research team has it that “it is important
for theCountry toconsolidateandopenmore
markets in Asia, where estimates point to big
increases in global demand of coffee over the
next decades”. In 2016, even with shrinking
supply of Robusta in Brazil, its exports soared
1% to that continent, which accounted for
17%ofthetotalexports.ShipmentstoEurope
(54%of the total), went down5%, and19%to
NorthAmerica(22%ofthetotal).
Per country, the United States was again
the biggest Brazilian coffee buyer in 2016,
followed by Germany and Italy, in spite of
the fact that the threeof themregisteredde-
clines compared to the previous year (re-
spectively 17%, 5%and 6%). The fourth big-
gest importer, Japan, purchased 3% more,
whilst the eighth, Canada, expanded its ac-
quisition by 2%, and Russia, which ranked
as seventh, expanded by 19% its business
with Brazil and ranked as sixth in the rank-
ing of the countries of destination.
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Good perspectives
In 2017, in the first twomonths, Brazilian coffee exports continued declining in volumes (something like 11%) from the previous year,
includingmosttypesofcoffeesthataresoldabroad,whilerevenueshowedanincreaseof6%.InMarch,CeCaféofficialsobservedthat“itis
stillearlyforanaccuratereadingoftheperspectivesfortheyear”.However,theybelievedthat,withglobalconsumptionontherise,accord-
ingtonumbersreleasedbytheInternationalCoffeeOrganization(ICO),exportswouldremainonaparwiththenumbersregisteredin2016.
For the future, expectations are very positive with regard to global coffee consumption, with changes in the profiles and equally
with flows, including regions with hardly any tradition, like China. Towards this end, projections for 2026 point to rising demand at
home and abroad. According to a study by the São Paulo State Industry Federation (Fiesp), net exports of the Country are supposed
to soar 30%anddomestic consumption, 20%. In themeantime, theMinistry of Agriculture, Livestock andFoodSupply (Mapa) is pro-
jecting respective rates of 28.7%and 24.8%.
Asia’s
turn
European Union and the United States are the biggest buyers of the product
Sílvio Ávila
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