Increasingly shorter window for Brazilian grape exports

With increasingly shorter trade windows, stifling tariffs, and growing pressure from global competitors, the mango and grape export market is at a tipping point where every logistical decision can make the difference between success and loss.

Grand Valle, one of the companies in the San Francisco Valley in Brazil, devoted to the production and export of mango and grapes, serves markets such as Europe, the United States, South America and, soon, China. With 700 hectares of mango and 160 hectares of grapes in production, Ilvison Silva (fruit purchasing manager), Aléxia Souza (foreign trade), and João Souza (foreign trade) assure that the company is standing firm in the face of the sector's problems. "We are confident that we will have another good year, with good production and great commercial prospects, despite the difficulties in the sector."

"The 2025 season has been marked by unusual weather, with a 30% reduction in rainfall in the San Francisco Valley. However, mango production has not been negatively affected by this, as the farm has controlled irrigation via the San Francisco river, and we foresee few problems with the main harvest in the second half of the year," they say.

As for grapes, the outlook is more complex. The trade window for Brazilian grapes is determined by international competition, which is becoming tighter and tighter. India supplies the market until week 17 or 18, while Egypt starts in week 19 and 20, which leaves Brazil a narrow window between weeks 17 and 20 to export to Europe without the risk of dealing with heavy market saturation. The UK, for its part, is more inclined towards Brazilian grapes and offers the possibility of supplying that market until weeks 25 and 26.

Peru's campaign finishes at the end of February, temporarily opening a gap in the European market, and Chile continues to ship grapes to the United States with low prices compared to Brazilian prices, putting greater pressure on Brazilian exporters.

"Added to this is the impact of tariffs in Europe, which range between 8% and 14%. For each container of grapes, you are always going to pay a tax of 3,800 to 4,000 euros," they say. Costs are lower in the United States, where you pay around 1,500 dollars per container.

This cost difference has led many producers to prioritize the local market in the first half of the year. "The share of the production devoted to exports this year is going to fall. The ex-works price for an 8 kg box of white grapes is around 25 to 26 dollars in the local market, while Chilean grapes compete with prices ranging between 14 and 16 dollars, which is putting pressure on Brazilian exporters to rethink their strategies, especially considering the good prospects in the local market, particularly for white grapes. In the coming weeks, the volume of Chilean grapes is expected to decrease, which would open up the possibility of planning shipments to markets such as Argentina," they say.

The company plans to visit China in May. "There are already good prospects for the opening of China to grape exports," they say. This could represent a great opportunity in view of the saturation of other destinations.

Regarding logistics, they say that costs remain high and ship delays continue to be a frequent problem with a direct impact on the fruit's quality and price. However, they say that there's also a positive trend in the export of mangoes and grapes to Argentina, where the number of weekly shipments has doubled.

© Grand Valle For more information:Ilvison Silva, Aléxia Souza and João Souza
Grand Valle
Brazil
Tel: +55 87 98842 4392
joaomarcos@grandvalle.com
www.grandvalle.com.br