Soluble coffee exports: Nestlé bets on higher shipments from Brazil in 2026

Brazilian coffee is capturing more value beyond the farm gate, and soluble coffee exports 2026 are becoming a key part of that strategy. With external demand firm and green coffee prices lower, some companies are shifting toward soluble coffee, an industrialized product that can expand export margins. Nestlé Brasil is one of them and is projecting a 27% increase in shipments this year.

In addition to the drop in international green coffee prices from 2025 levels, the recovery in global demand is supporting Nestlé’s outlook for soluble coffee exports 2026. Geopolitics has also become a supportive factor. The United States, the main market for Brazilian soluble coffee, had included the product in its tariff dispute and imposed a 50% rate in July last year, but more recently reduced that rate to 10%.

With the market for soluble coffee now more resilient, the company expects to expand its share in the segment and ship more than 20,200 tonnes over the year. Those volumes include different soluble coffee formats, such as ready-to-consume sachets, jars and cans, as well as bulk product destined for filling at factories in the company’s other international operations.

The company says growth in soluble coffee exports 2026 is being driven by the gradual normalization of coffee prices and the recovery of international demand, factors expected to sustain export momentum throughout the year.

Coffee exports fall 31% in January, hurting revenue

Against that backdrop, Brazil is likely to consolidate its position as one of the main soluble coffee exporters within Nestlé’s global operations, adding value to a commodity that has traditionally been exported in raw form.

The advance is being led by the company’s Araras plant in Sao Paulo state, considered strategic to Nestlé’s global operations. The facility serves the domestic market and exports to 57 countries, with Argentina, Canada, Guatemala and Saudi Arabia standing out as the main destinations for Brazilian product.

“The Araras unit is one of Nescafé’s most competitive plants in the world, encompassing all cutting-edge technologies related to soluble coffee production. It has established itself as the main export hub for the finished product and one of the most relevant globally within Nestlé’s operations,” Marcelo Nascimento, vice president of supply chain at Nestlé Brasil, said in a statement sent to CNN Agro.

The industrial plant is also one of the focuses of Nestlé Brasil’s investment plan, which totals 1 billion reais through 2028. The site currently concentrates processing technologies aligned with changing global consumption trends, which increasingly use soluble coffee in iced beverages, protein drinks and coffee-flavored food products.

Nestlé told CNN Agro that the performance of soluble coffee reinforces Brazil’s role not only as a coffee producer, but also as a relevant industrial hub in the beverage’s global supply chain. The company sees the Araras plant as one of the most competitive assets in its industrial portfolio.

The following chart leverages intelligence from Datamar’s Business Intelligence team to track the historical progression of Brazilian instant coffee export volumes:

Instant Coffee Exports | Jan 2023 – Jan 2026 | TEUs

Fonte: DataLiner (clique aqui para solicitar uma demonstração)

Investment and technology

Among the highlights at the Sao Paulo unit is the use of artificial intelligence applied to production-process control, monitoring variables such as roasting, moisture and coffee color. The system allows real-time adjustments and predicts failures, increasing operating efficiency.

The plant also uses the internet of things, machine learning, big data and autonomous robotics, in addition to generative AI solutions for predictive analysis and trend monitoring.

Source: CNN Brasil

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