Chinese market boosting growth in Brazilian coffee exports

Brazil exported more than 39.24 million 60-kg bags of coffee last year, on par with those in 2022, according to the the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

Of these, 1.48 million bags were exported to China, a significant 278.6 percent increase over 2022, making China the 6th largest export destination for Brazilian coffee.

Photo shows coffee trees of different varieties outside the office of Unique Cafes in Brazil.  (People's Daily/Shi Yuanhao)

"In 2017, Brazil's coffee exports to China were less than 83,000 bags. In recent years, coffee consumption in the Chinese market has achieved continuous growth, and Brazilian coffee is gaining more popularity," said Marcos Antonio Matos, director general of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

He said that with its large population, China still has great room for growth in coffee consumption. Brazil values the Chinese coffee market and hopes more Chinese merchants will purchase Brazilian coffee beans.

Minas Gerais is one of Brazil's main coffee producing states. It said on its news website that the Chinese market provides important opportunities for the Brazilian coffee industry.

Specialty coffee is one of the key growth areas for Brazilian coffee exports to China. The Mantiqueira region, located at the junction of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, has high altitudes and large diurnal temperature variation, making it a sound place for growing coffee.

A staff member of a coffee plantation explains how coffee is processed.  (People's Daily/Shi Yuanhao)

Helcio Junior, Executive Director of Unique Cafes located in Mantiqueira, said that his company has cooperated with its Chinese partners for eight years and long been engaged in the promotion and sales of specialty coffee in China.

Unique Cafes has also participated in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai multiple times through the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.

"The Chinese market is boosting growth in Brazilian coffee exports," said Junior.

The Cerrado Coffee Growers Federation in Minas Gerais recently said that China is one of the most promising countries for importing high-quality Brazilian coffee in the future, and expanding the coffee business in the Chinese market will be an important effort going forward.

Brazil's CarmoCoffees, mainly engaged in coffee bean exports, often sends its commercial trader for the Chinese market, Brayan Cunha Souza, to participate in relevant exhibitions held in Chinese cities.

An employee of a coffee company packs coffee powder. (People's Daily/Shi Yuanhao)

"In many Chinese cities, you can see more and more coffee shops popping up on streets and alleys. Demand in the Chinese market for Brazilian coffee, especially specialty coffee, continues to grow," Souza said.

Brazilian coffee brands attach great importance to the Chinese market and will continue to strengthen cooperation with Chinese partners, he added.

"There are certain differences among Brazil's coffee-producing regions, so we can provide coffees with diverse flavors," said Eduardo Heron Santos, technical director of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

He added that the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council is committed to investing in research on coffee varieties and tastes to further meet the diversified demands of the Chinese coffee market.

An employee of a coffee company brews coffee. (People's Daily/Shi Yuanhao)