LONDON: Arabica coffee futures rose on Wednesday, heading back towards the prior session’s four-month high with the market still concerned about tariffs, low stocks and reduced exports from top grower Brazil.
Cocoa and sugar also rose.
Coffee
Arabica coffee rose 1.3% to $3.8660 per lb at 1134 GMT, having hit its highest since early May at $3.9300 on Tuesday.
Brazilian coffee exports to the United States fell 46% in August while sales to Latin American neighbours surged, coffee exporters group Cecafe said, even as industry leaders said re-exporting Brazilian beans via third countries was not an alternative for getting past U.S. import tariffs.
Overall, Brazil’s coffee exports fell 17.5% from a year ago in August, with arabica exports down 11.2% and robusta exports 34.5% lower.
Dealers noted the 50% U.S. tariff on Brazil has prompted a raid on ICE-certified stocks while Brazilian farmers are reluctant to sell as they wait to see if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a federal appeals court ruling that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority in enacting the tariffs.
Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 1.9% to $4,455 a metric ton.
Cocoa
London cocoa rose 1.4% to 5,171 pounds a ton, having hit its lowest since July 21 at 4,980 on Tuesday.
Cocoa is under pressure as demand is weak amid historically high prices, while a surplus is expected next season.
“A recovery in global cocoa demand, albeit off multi-year lows, is unlikely (in the second half of 2025) until there is a major improvement in supply and available stocks,” said J.P. Morgan analyst Tracey Allen.
She added that while supply-side improvements are expected in 2025/26 both in West Africa and Ecuador, she expects cocoa prices to average $6,000 a ton in the medium term, while the market finds balance.
New York cocoa rose 0.5% to $7,433 a ton.
Sugar
Raw sugar rose 0.3% to 15.89 cents per lb, having hit a two-month low of 15.38 on Monday.
Dealers noted improvement on ethanol prices in Brazil, and lower sugar production in Germany as helping underpin prices.
White sugar rose 0.9% to $487.40 a ton.
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