Brazil suspends cocoa imports from Ivory Coast over phytosanitary concerns

Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry has temporarily suspended imports of fermented and dried cocoa beans from Ivory Coast, citing phytosanitary risks, according to a notice published Tuesday (Feb 24) in the official government gazette.

The ministry said the measure was adopted after a technical assessment identified the potential risk of pests and diseases entering Brazil through imported cocoa shipments.

Officials pointed to a heavy flow of cocoa beans from neighboring countries such as Ghana, Guinea and Liberia into Ivory Coast. Authorities warned that beans of different origins could be mixed before export — a practice known as trade triangulation.

Some of those countries, including Liberia and Guinea, are not authorized to export cocoa to Brazil, raising concerns that contaminated shipments could reach the country, the ministry said.

Under the published order, the ministry’s International Relations and Agricultural Defense secretariats have been tasked with investigating possible cases of triangulation.

The suspension will remain in place until the government of Ivory Coast provides formal assurances that shipments destined for Brazil do not contain cocoa produced in countries lacking sanitary authorization.

Brazil produces roughly 80% of its domestic cocoa demand and imports the remaining 20%.

In 2025, Brazil produced 186,137 metric tons of cocoa, while imports totaled 42,199 tons, according to data compiled by Lucca Bezzon, an analyst at StoneX Brazil. Of the imported volume, 81% originated in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer.

The landscape of the containerized import market reveals that, throughout 2025, nationalized volumes of the cocoa complex from Ivory Coast reached 414 TEUs — a 117% year-over-year (YoY) increase. This data, which encompasses cocoa beans, oils, pastes, and cake/meal, was extracted from Datamar’s DataLiner platform.

Cocoa Imports from Ivory Coast | Jan 2022 – Dec 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Industry pressure and reaction

According to the Bahia Agriculture Federation (Faeb), the decision follows a new phytosanitary risk assessment conducted by a Brazilian technical mission to Ivory Coast between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14. The report is expected to be released later this week.

The move also comes after lobbying efforts led by Pará Governor Helder Barbalho, whose state is Brazil’s largest cocoa producer. Barbalho met with Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro and other officials to advocate for domestic growers.

“This was a demand from rural producers,” the governor said, arguing that the measure will help strengthen domestic cocoa prices and support local farmers.

Brazil’s National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA) backed the suspension, calling it “essential to protect domestic production from the risk of pests and diseases entering the country.”

“The suspension of cocoa bean imports from Ivory Coast is an extremely relevant precautionary measure,” said CNA Deputy Technical Director Maciel Silva, expressing confidence that the ministry’s agricultural defense department would base its final decision on scientific criteria.

However, the National Association of Cocoa Processing Industries (AIPC) said it received the news with concern.

The group said decisions of this magnitude must be grounded exclusively in technical criteria and objective risk assessments. It also voiced confidence that the Ivorian government — described as a strategic trade partner — would provide the necessary clarifications and guarantees regarding traceability and controls to prevent unauthorized triangulation.

Source: G1

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