Brazilian orange juice export revenue fell 30% to US$2.38 billion in the 2025/2026 crop season, despite near-stable export volumes of 746,900 metric tons. The European Union’s share dropped from 50% to 45% as its imports fell 10.9% to 335,200 tons, while the U.S. became the top single destination—accounting for 48% of shipments—after importing 355,800 tons, up 16.3%. China saw volume rise 26%, but Japan’s imports plunged 28.6% and revenue fell 45.9% to US$58.9 million. CitrusBR attributes the trend to global price sensitivity and quality issues tied to climate and citrus greening.
According to globorural.globo.com, Brazilian orange juice export revenue declined by 30% during the 2025/2026 crop season, falling to US$ 2.38 billion from US$ 3.42 billion in 2024/2025.
Stable Volume, Sharp Revenue Drop
Export volumes remained nearly flat, totaling 746,900 metric tons — a 0.2% increase over the prior season — according to data compiled by CitrusBR from Brazil’s Secretariat of Foreign Trade. The disconnect between volume stability and steep revenue contraction underscores a pronounced global price compression.
This divergence reflects both reduced purchasing power among key importers and supply-side pressures, including climate-related quality issues and lingering effects of citrus greening disease during the previous season.
Europe’s Market Share Shrinks Amid Double-Digit Declines
The European Union — historically the largest regional market for Brazilian frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) — imported 335,200 metric tons in 2025/2026, down 10.9% from 376,500 metric tons in 2024/2025. Revenue from EU exports fell to approximately US$ 1.11 billion, representing a 38% decline versus US$ 1.78 billion the prior year.
The bloc’s share of total Brazilian FCOJ exports slipped from roughly 50% to near 45%, ceding ground to other destinations as pricing pressure intensified across European retail and foodservice channels.
United States Emerges as Top Single Destination
The United States solidified its position as Brazil’s largest individual export market, accounting for nearly 48% of total FCOJ shipments — up from about 40% in 2024/2025. U.S. imports rose to 355,800 metric tons, a 16.3% increase from 305,800 metric tons the previous season.
Despite higher volume, U.S. export revenue declined to roughly US$ 1.08 billion, down 20.6% from US$ 1.36 billion in 2024/2025 — confirming that price erosion affected even the strongest growth market.
Asia: Divergent Trajectories in China and Japan
China recorded a 26% volume increase — from 20,100 to 25,500 metric tons — while revenue edged up just 1% to around US$ 70.3 million. In contrast, Japan posted the steepest decline among major importers: volume dropped 28.6% (from 20,100 to 14,300 metric tons) and revenue plunged 45.9% to approximately US$ 58.9 million, down from US$ 108.9 million.
The Japanese outcome highlights how localized demand softness and aggressive discounting combined to depress returns despite stable logistical access.
Root Causes: Price Sensitivity and Quality Challenges
Ibiapaba Netto, Executive Director of CitrusBR, attributed the downturn to two interlocking factors: elevated prices in prior seasons prompting consumers to shift toward cheaper alternatives, and diminished product quality linked to adverse weather and citrus greening impacts during the 2024/2025 harvest.
“The result reflects the high prices of previous harvests, which led consumers to seek more affordable options, in addition to quality problems arising from climate effects and greening in the prior season.” — Ibiapaba Netto, Executive Director of CitrusBR
These structural constraints — not temporary logistical disruptions or tariff shifts — defined the 2025/2026 season’s commercial performance.
Source: globorural.globo.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
