Bahia Cocoa Growers Protest Rising Imports From Africa

Amid a downturn in international cocoa prices, producers in Brazil’s Bahia state have renewed criticism of what they describe as “excessive” imports of cocoa beans from Africa, particularly from Ivory Coast, which rose 17% in 2025. The sector cites sanitary risks and points to commercial practices it says have harmed the domestic supply chain, with discounts of up to 30% on prices currently paid to Brazilian cocoa growers. The processing industry denies any irregular practices.

Producers began protesting imports over the weekend, blocking highways in Bahia. On Wednesday (Jan. 28), the sector mobilized near the Port of Ilhéus, in the southern part of the state, where vessels carrying African cocoa have been docking.

Growers complain of a “distortion” in the use of the drawback regime for purchases of foreign cocoa beans. The mechanism allows industries to import cocoa with tax exemptions for domestic processing and the export of derivatives such as chocolate and cocoa butter. According to Guilherme Moura, a director at the Bahia Federation of Agriculture and Livestock (Faeb), there are indications that imported cocoa has been used to manage inventories and further depress domestic prices for Brazilian cocoa.

“The time frame between importing cocoa and exporting the derivative is two years, which is very long. We want to check whether this mechanism is being used as a tool for stockpiling, to control prices and purchasing appetite for cocoa,” Moura told reporters.

Cocoa Imports on the rise

According to Datamar data, Brazil imported 2,950 TEUs of cocoa — including beans, pastes and powdered products — between January and November 2025. That volume represented a 2.3% increase year on year.

Below is a month-by-month comparison of maritime imports into Brazil for the cocoa sector since 2022. The data come from Datamar’s DataLiner platform:

Cocoa Imports | Jan 2022 – Nov 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Ports in Bahia were the main entry points for foreign cocoa in 2025, with nearly 70,000 tonnes unloaded.

More recent data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) show that, in the 12 months through August 2025, cocoa was the second most imported product under the drawback tax suspension regime, totaling $441.6 million. That figure accounted for more than 99% of total imports of raw or roasted cocoa beans during the period. Throughout 2024, imports under drawback totaled $121.7 million.

Faeb has asked the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) to conduct a study on the application of the tax suspension to assess time frames, volumes and oversight methods. The federation is calling for a review of the measure.

Bahia’s cocoa growers also allege the existence of cartel-like behavior by processing industries in purchases of locally produced cocoa and say they will take the case to Brazil’s antitrust authority, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade). According to Faeb, processors have applied discounts equivalent to about one-third of the effective price of cocoa beans.

“This additional discount by the industry is unjustified. The industry claims the market is weak and demand is low, but it is importing cocoa from Africa,” Moura said. “It’s a very difficult situation. If this continues, it will completely disrupt cocoa farming in 2026,” he added.

A year ago, cocoa was trading at R$1,000 per arroba, Faeb’s director said, and has now fallen below R$300. On top of that, about R$100 is still deducted from that price.

Industry response

The National Association of Cocoa Processing Industries (AIPC) rejected the cartel accusations. Speaking to reporters, the association’s president, Anna Paula Losi, said there is no interference in market pricing.

“Companies take part in negotiations with producers in an autonomous and independent manner, in line with each company’s commercial policy. Any bonuses or premiums based on quality assessments depend on the relationship between companies and each of their suppliers,” she said.

Losi also defended higher imports as essential to the operation of Brazil’s cocoa processing industry.

“In the first half of 2025, the gap between grinding and cocoa intake reached 39.7 thousand tonnes. Without imports, we would have to halt production lines — there would be nothing to process,” she said.

Regarding the drawback regime for cocoa imports, Losi said suspending the measure would be harmful to the industry and the broader economy. “Exports of derivatives exceed imports of cocoa beans and allow the industry to meet both domestic and foreign demand. Without drawback, we would stop serving customers and generating foreign exchange. That would not be positive for the supply chain, so it does not seem like a reasonable measure for the sector,” she concluded.

Beyond price and import issues, Faeb is also pressing for stricter inspections of importing vessels. The federation is calling for a technical report on inspections of ships carrying foreign cocoa beans and is demanding greater “transparency” in the process.

Over the past weekend, producers blocked roads in southern Bahia and called for greater valuation of domestically produced cocoa.

Source: Globo Rural

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