São Paulo – Tunisia and Morocco have ranked among the suppliers of olive oil to Brazil in the 2012-2013 crop year. A study released this Friday (20th) by the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), based on November figures, shows that the Brazilian market is a highlight in olive oil imports, having imported 74,800 tonnes. Imports were up 5% from the previous crop, according to the ICCO.
The European Union is the leading olive oil supplier to Brazil, having answered to 88% of total imports. Of these, Portugal accounted for 57%, Spain for 24%, Italy for 6% and Greece for 1%. Argentina accounted for 9% and Chile for 2%. The volumes shipped from Spain and Portugal far exceed those from other countries. Spain shipped 18,400 tonnes to Brazil and Portugal shipped 42,800.
The remaining 1% of Brazil’s imports originated from countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon. Morocco shipped 126 tonnes, Tunisia shipped 42.5 tonnes and Lebanon shipped 25.5 tonnes. Exports from Morocco have increased because in the 2011-2012 crop year the country did not export to Brazil. Tunisia’s exports to Brazil were up 98% from 21.5 tonnes, and Lebanon’s were up 372% from 5.4 tonnes.
The 2012-2013 crop year spans from October 2012 to September this year. During the period, Brazil’s olive imports have also increased, by 8% to 109,050 tonnes. Argentina is the leading supplier of olives to Brazil, having accounted for 75% of total imports at 81,300 tonnes, followed by Spain at 13% with 14,100 tonnes, Peru at 11% with 11,700 tonnes, and Egypt at 1% with 975.8 tonnes.
As for the Arab countries, Morocco shipped 20.5 tonnes of olives to Brazil in 2012-2013, and Lebanon shipped 3.7 tonnes. Morocco had not exported olives to the Brazilian market in the previous season, and Lebanon had shipped 2.4 tonnes. Egypt did not to Brazil in the 2011-2012 crop year.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
