Who Exports the Most Coffee? (Solved & Explained!)

Brazil is the top exporter of coffee. It exports four and a half billion U.S dollars worth of coffee to different countries and is the world’s largest coffee-producing country. It fulfills one-third of the world’s coffee needs. 

In Brazil, the coffee plantation area consists of 27,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi), mainly located in the Eastern states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Paraná.

This article will look at the history of Brazil and how it became one of the world’s top exporters, as well as the top five exporters of coffee and the world’s leading importer of coffee.

When were the First Crops of Coffee Grown?

The first crops were grown in the 18th century, and Brazil became an excellent producer by 1840. Brazilian coffee got fame in the 19th century when Italian immigrants came and worked on the plantation of coffee. Brazilian coffee production was at its peak in 1920 but came down in 1995 because coffee production increased globally.

What is the History of Brazilian Coffee? 

Francisco de Melo Palheta planted the first coffee plant in Brazil in the para-state in 1727. According to him, the natives of Brazil were finding coffee seeds but could not acquire them due to the governor’s dispute about exporting the seeds from the French Guiana border. 

Paleta was a government member sent to French Guiana to resolve the conflict between the borders. He smuggled some seeds of coffee by bribing the governor’s wife. She gave him a bouquet of coffee seeds, which he snuck back home with him. That coffee was cultivated and spread from para and reached Reo de Janeiro in 1770.

This coffee was grown to such an amount that it fulfilled the domestic demand. But later, its production was increased when there was an increased demand for coffee by American and European countries.

In late 1920, Brazil became the most prominent country, meeting the demand of coffee up to 80% worldwide. However, later its contribution declined due to a global increase in coffee production.

Who are the Leading Exporters of Coffee? 

Other than Brazil, the South American countries are also the leading exporters of coffee. In 2018 Brazil exported 60 million bags of coffee, and runner-up Vietnam generated twice this amount. However, after one year, America broke the Record and exported about 100 million coffee bags. 

Coffee is the second most-consumed drink in the world. About 3.5 million coffee cups are consumed daily. Therefore the demand for coffee is very high all over the world. Besides its use as a beverage, the coffee beans are decaffeinated for obtaining beverages, cosmetics, and other pharmaceutical products. Commercially, there are two types of coffee beans: Robusta and Arabica.

According to OEC, coffee is the 121st most traded product. Brazil, Vietnam, and Germany are the leading countries that fulfill most of the demand for coffee.

Which Five Countries are Top Exporters of Coffee? 

According to the trade values, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, and Vietnam are the top five countries that export the best coffee worldwide. 

  1. Brazil has a trade value of 4584.85 million U.S dollars. 
  2. Switzerland has a trade value of 2506.13 million U.S dollars. 
  3. Germany had a trade value of 2415.4 million U.S dollars. 
  4. Colombia has a trade value of 2363.17 million U.S dollars. 
  5. Vietnam has a trade value of 2218.82 million U.S dollars. 

Why is Switzerland a High Exporter of Coffee?

Switzerland has been the second country to export the best coffee beans since 2009. Last year it exported about 83.189 tons. This country imports 93% unroasted coffee beans and 98% roasted beans. The net benefit to the country was about 1.8 billion dollars. They export more coffee than chocolate and cheese.

Why is Germany a High Exporter of Coffee?

Germany was the largest exporter of green coffee beans in Europe in 2019. They exported 356 thousand tons of coffee and increased its average to about 3.3%. The leading coffee-growing fields in Germany are exported to Poland, the United States, and Spain.

Besides exporting green beans of coffee, it has also maintained its position in trading roasted coffee beans. Germany is the second-largest country for exporting roasted coffee beans in European countries. Most coffee is grown in axis regions in Colombia, while other areas focus more on quality instead of amount.

Why is Columbia a High Exporter of Coffee?

The coffee plant was cultivated in Colombia in 1790. The oldest registered coffee region in Colombia was a Jesuit priest. Columbia mainly exported the beans to Germany, France, Japan, and Italy.

Why is Vietnam a High Exporter of Coffee?

Producing coffee in Vietnam is the primary source of income. In Vietnam, coffee was introduced by the plantation system by the French in 1857. Vietnam is famous for producing the world’s best Robusta coffee due to the suitable weather. In Vietnam, coffee is the second source of income after rice.

There are industrial developments of coffee, and despite coffee farmers in Vietnam having experienced many fluctuations since 1980, they have found success in the coffee industry.

Who Imports the Most Coffee? 

The United States is the top country that imports coffee. They imported about 5.84 billion dollars worth of coffee in 2019 from various countries, making them the top importer of coffee.

In 2013, the United States imported 6,404 million US dollars of coffee (HS code 0901), increasing to US$ 6,463 million in the year 2020.

The volume of coffee imported by the United States increased from 1631 million kg in 2013 to 1635 million in 2020.

Import prices of coffee from the United States were from US$ 3.93 per kilogram in 2013 to US$ 3.95 per kilogram in 2020.

Colombia will be the most significant coffee trading partner in the United States in 2020, with the U.S importing about 1.21 billion dollars worth in a year.

Brazil is another South American country. It is best known for being the second rank coffee importer. It imports about the worth of 1.16 billion dollars of coffee in one year.