Global coffee exports decline 2.8 percent in September as Ethiopia, Uganda drive Africa’s exports
South America was the main driver of the overall downturn, outweighing the positive growth recorded in the other three regions
KAMPALA, November 10, 2025 — Global exports of all forms of coffee decreased by 2.8 percent to 11.00 million bags in September 2025, compared with 11.31mln bags in September 2024, according to the latest Coffee Market Report released by the International Coffee Organisation [ICO].
According to the report, this marks the sixth consecutive month of negative growth in coffee year 2024/25, leading to a 0.3 percent decline in total annual exports to 138.66mln bags, compared with 139.01mln bags in coffee year 2023/24. South America was the main driver of the overall downturn, outweighing the positive growth recorded in the other three regions.
In September 2025, global green bean exports totalled 9.94mln bags, compared with 9.96mln bags in September 2024 — a fall of 0.2 percent. This represents the sixth consecutive month of negative growth in coffee year 2024/25. For the full year, total green bean exports declined by 0.8 percent to 121.26mln bags, compared with 122.21mln bags in coffee year 2023/24.
Africa
Exports of all forms of coffee from Africa increased by 3.2 percent in September 2025 to 1.49mln bags, up from 1.45mln bags in September 2024. For coffee year 2024/25, exports rose by 18.6 percent to 19.69mln bags, compared with 16.6mln bags in coffee year 2023/24.
Ethiopia and Uganda were the main drivers behind the region’s strong performance, with exports increasing by 27.3 percent and 29.6 percent, respectively, to 7.37mln and 8.26mln bags. This double-digit growth is attributed to favourable harvests, high international coffee prices, and the release of higher-than-usual stock volumes.
Ethiopia’s harvest for coffee year 2024/25 is estimated at 9.91mln bags, while Uganda’s is estimated at 7.05mln bags.
Asia & Oceania
Exports of all forms of coffee from Asia & Oceania rose by 29.3 percent to 3.05mln bags in September 2025, up from 2.36mln bags in September 2024. For coffee year 2024/25, exports increased by 9.1 percent to 44.45mln bags, compared with 40.73mln bags last coffee year.
The regional expansion was mainly driven by Indonesia and Vietnam, whose exports increased by 46.0 percent and 7.1 percent, reaching 9.77mln and 26.86 million bags, respectively. These gains were largely due to improved harvests, reversing the downturns of the previous coffee year.
For coffee year 2024/25, total coffee production in Indonesia and Vietnam is estimated at 11.27mln and 29.19mln bags, respectively — up 22.3 percent and 9.0 percent.
South America
In September 2025, South America’s exports of all forms of coffee declined by 13.9 percent to 5.67mln bags, down from 6.58mln bags in September 2024. This marks the tenth consecutive month of negative growth for the region, following a 16-month period of positive growth.
As a result, South America’s exports for coffee year 2024/25 fell by 12.3 percent to 58.94mln bags, compared with 67.22mln bags in coffee year 2023/24.
The downturn was primarily driven by Brazil, whose exports dropped by 17.9 percent to 41.11 million bags, down from 50.10mln bags in coffee year 2023/24. This decline is attributed to a combination of base effects, a market vacuum, and Brazil’s biennial production cycle.
In coffee year 2023/24, Brazil’s Robusta exports surged by 135.4 percent due to a global Robusta supply shortage caused by reduced output in Indonesia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Brazilian Naturals rose by 20.7 percent, reflecting a 13.8 percent increase in the Arabica harvest during the “on-year” of the biennial cycle.
In 2024/25, however, the Robusta supply vacuum disappeared, and Arabica production entered its “off-year”. Additionally, logistics challenges at the main coffee-exporting port of Santos further amplified the regional downturn.
Mexico & Central America
In September 2025, exports of all forms of coffee from Mexico & Central America fell by 14.6 percent to 0.79 million bags, compared with 0.93 million bags in September 2024.
Despite this short-term decline, full-year exports for coffee year 2024/25 rose by 7.7 percent to 15.58 million bags, compared with 14.46 million bags in coffee year 2023/24.
The growth was primarily driven by Mexico and Nicaragua, whose exports increased by 24.8 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively.
Exports of Robustas
Green bean exports of Robustas rose by 23.0 percent to 3.67mln bags in September 2025, up from 2.99mln bags in September 2024. This marks the fourth month of negative growth in coffee year 2024/25, with full-year exports edging down by 0.02 percent to 44.35mln bags, compared with 44.36mln bags in coffee year 2023/24.
The overall flat performance masks substantial inter-origin variations during the year. Brazil’s Robusta exports fell by 47.8 percent to 4.89mln bags, down from 9.37mln bags in coffee year 2023/24. This sharp decline was expected, as last year’s exports were exceptionally high — nearly three times the average of the preceding five coffee years (2018/19–2022/23) — due to a temporary global Robusta shortage caused by weak harvests in Indonesia and Vietnam.
In coffee year 2023/24, Indonesia and Vietnam’s Robusta exports fell by 37.0 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively, a combined loss of 5.31mln bags, driven by harvest declines of 23.7 percent and 12.8 percent, a net loss of 6.08 million bags.
In coffee year 2024/25, their combined Robusta output rose by 11.0 percent year-on-year, with a net gain of 3.65mln bags. Exports surged by 132.6 percent and 31.3 percent, respectively, a combined increase of 5.4mln bags. The rebound in these two Asian origins effectively displaced Brazil from the Robusta market.
Exports of Arabicas
Total exports of Arabicas decreased by 1.2 percent to 76.91mln bags in coffee year 2024/25, down from 77.85mln bags in the previous coffee year. Consequently, Arabicas’ share of total green bean exports fell slightly to 63.4 percent, from 63.7 percent in coffee year 2023/24.
Since coffee year 2016/17, the Arabicas’ share of global exports has fluctuated around a mean of 63.4 percent.
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