São Paulo –Brazil exported 734,606 60-kilo bags of coffee to Arab countries in the first semester, up 14% from the same period last year, according to data released by the Brazilian Coffee Exporter Council (Cecafé).<\/p>\n
Shipment revenue, though, declined by more than 10% in the same comparison and stood at US$ 97 million in the first six months of 2014.<\/p>\n
According to the Cecafé, 2013\/2014 crop, initiated in July last year and closed last June, finished with exports of almost 34 million bags, an increase of 9.9% in relation to the previous cycle.<\/p>\n
Revenue obtained was US$ 5.327 billion, down 11.6% in the same comparison. The Cecafé says that the performance “is a reflection of the continuous decline of prices observed until January 2014.” Figures started rising in February, according to the organization, moving from US$ 138.55 per bag in January to US$ 188.87 in June.<\/p>\n
In spite of the smaller revenue, Cecafé’s chairman, Guilherme Braga, declared, according to communiqué from the organization, that the performance of the crop was better than expected, as 32.5 million bags were expected to be exported and the actual exported volume was 5% above that.<\/p>\n
In June alone, Brazil exported 2,858,012 bags, up 21% from the same month last year. Revenue from the shipments was nearly US$ 540 million, up 37.3% in the same comparison.<\/p>\n
Region-wise, Brazil’s main markets are Europe, North America, Asia and South America. Country-wise, main destinations are United States, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Japan.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça<\/strong> <\/p>\n