Rio de Janeiro, 18 September (Reporters: Zhou Yuan Wang Tianjin) is in the dry season, and the weather is dry in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The harvesting of large coffee trees has ended, and the farmers are flying over, and the red earth is flying. Coffee trees stand still, waiting for the next year's harvest.

This is the coffee bean harvest scene filmed on August 27 in a coffee farm on the river Calmo on the banana River in Minas Gerais, Brazil (drone photo).

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter, and the United States is its main export market. The United States has imposed a tariff rate of 40% on Brazilian U.S. exports since August, with most Brazilian U.S. exports facing a tariff rate of up to 50% on coffee. This affects many Brazilian coffee exporters to suspend receiving U.S. orders to seek new market opportunities.

Minas Gerais accounts for more than half of Brazil¡¯s total coffee production, and the northwestern province of Serra Domínguez is the first coffee region in Brazil to be certified as ¡°Name of Origin¡± and 70% of its coffee is exported.Juliano, executive director of the Serra Domínguez Coffee Growers Association, told reporters that the lowest sea level is 800 meters, all of which are officially certified Arabica coffee beans, exported to more than 50 countries around the world.

Nunes Coffee Estate, located in Patrosiniu, has a 41-year history of coffee cultivation, and its coffee is mainly exported to Europe and the United States through cooperatives. Osmar Nunes, the owner of the manor, believes that the tariff increase imposed by the United States is detrimental to both sides, but the loss of the United States may be even greater.

On August 27th, at a coffee estate in Kalmu-sur-Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the staff processed coffee. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Tiancong

Currently, approximately one-third of the U.S. uncooked coffee comes from Brazil, which is Brazil¡¯s largest coffee export destination. By 2024, the U.S. imports 8.14 million bags of coffee from Brazil, accounting for 33% of its total consumption.

¡°There are many bakers and coffee brands in the U.S. that rely on imports from Brazil, and we can also explore other markets, so the current negative impact of U.S. tariffs on its own may be greater than that of Brazil,¡± said Nunes.

After filtering, splitting, packing and other processes, coffee beans packed from the plantation are placed in the coffee cooperative warehouse waiting for shipment. Many cooperatives visited by reporters have basically not sent orders to the United States. Relevant officials said that many US orders are sent before the tariffs entered into force, this year coffee exemption, while demand in Europe, Australia and other places is still strong, so there is not much inventory pressure.

On August 26th, at a coffee estate in Patrosiniu, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the staff conducted a coffee cup test. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Tiancong

Daniel Paul, Chief Commercial Officer of the Calmo Coffee Growers Cooperative, said the first impact of the tariffs was the price hike and we hope that the two countries can reach an agreement but must negotiate through dialogue.