São Paulo – Brazilian coffee exports reached US$ 647.6 million in March, a 55.2% increase over the same month of last year, according to information disclosed this Thursday (7th) by the Brazilian Coffee Exporter Council (Cecafé).
A total of 2.7 million 60-kilogram bags were shipped last month, an increase of only 1.3% over March 2010, which attests to the year-on-year price increase. "Prices should remain at the current levels this year because there is a balance between consumption and production," said Guilherme Braga, the director general of Cecafé, according to a press statement.
In the first quarter, exports reached US$ 1.86 billion, a 61% increase over the first quarter of last year. Foreign sales totalled 8.2 million bags, 11% more using the same basis of comparison.
Markets
To the Arab countries, revenues from exports reached US$ 58.9 million in the first quarter, 36% more than in the same period of last year. The region imported 351,000 bags, 7% more than in the first quarter of 2010.
In terms of regions, the leading buyers of Brazilian coffee during the period were Europe, with 55% of the total, followed by North America, with 23%, Asia (17%) and South America (3%).
The United States were the leading buyer market in the first quarter, having imported 1.66 bags, or 20% of the total, followed by Germany, with 1.6 million bags (19%), Italy, with 742,000 bags (9%), Belgium, with 637,000 bags (8%) and Japan, with 532,000 bags, or 7%.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
