Russia boosts imports of Brazilian coffee, emerging as an alternative to the U.S. market

Even while at war with Ukraine and under Western sanctions targeting its financial system, Russia is buying more and more Brazilian coffee. In 2024, it was the tenth-largest destination for the product, with imports of 1.372 million 60-kg bags.

This year, it has already risen to eighth place in the ranking, with 732,300 bags purchased between January and July, up from nearly 598,000 bags in the same period of 2024, according to Brazil’s Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).

Russians are also buying more Brazilian specialty coffees. Of the total exported to Russia this year, 101,365 bags were specialty coffee, a 267% increase from the same period in 2024.

Check below a history of Brazilian green coffee exports to Russia starting from January 2022. The chart was prepared with DataLiner data:

Brazilian Green Coffee Exports to Russia | Jan 2022 to Jun 2025 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

Eyeing this growing demand for specialty coffee, a group of eight Russian buyers visited coffee farms in Espírito Santo and Rondônia in August.

One of the farms visited was Camocim, located in Domingos Martins in the Capixaba Mountains region. The Russians were introduced to Jacu coffee and other organic and biodynamic specialty arabicas produced under regenerative agriculture.

Henrique Sloper, owner of Camocim, said he shipped a lot of coffee to Russia in the past but stopped with the onset of the war. He now hopes to resume exports along with a group of Espírito Santo producers.

Consumption vs. war

“Our relationship with Russia is longstanding because it is a market that drinks a lot of coffee. Specialty coffee was an emerging market there, but its growth was interrupted by the war. Today, it takes a lot of gymnastics to send coffee there and even more gymnastics to get paid,” he said.

Among the Russian visitors was the owner of a Moscow-based coffee distributor that already does business with BMP Farmers Coffee, a trading company in Nova Venda do Imigrante, Espírito Santo (ES).

In addition to Russia, BMP Farmers Coffee, which collaborates with over 300 arabica and conilon suppliers in Espírito Santo, exports specialty coffee to Canada, Australia, and European countries. According to Luísa Lang, Farmers’ communications director, there were some problems at the start of the war with Ukraine, but exports to the Russian distributor continued.

“The Russians said they are interested in increasing the distribution of Brazilian specialty coffees in their country, especially conilon, which is considered a good option for roasters,” Lang said.

The rising Russian interest comes at a time when exports to the United States — Brazil’s biggest customer — have become unviable due to a 50% surcharge imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

Sloper said resuming business with Russia is one of the options to replace the U.S. market. He shipped 320 bags to the U.S. earlier this year but hopes for a solution to resume exports to his three American clients. Besides Russia, he said another option is to increase business with Japan, where he plans to attend Asia’s largest coffee fair.

Source: Globo Rural

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