Entries by Charles Seara Cardoso

Signs that Exporters are keen to sell

There are increasing offers from Ethiopian shippers, the last flurry of trading in February (before the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent drop in terminals prices) was a while ago and shippers are returning to the market. However, offer levels remain at levels too high to generate much business, one feels that eventually lower prices (below […]

Minimum prices up, trading down

In a rather bizarre twist, the Coffee & Tea Authority decided this week to increase considerably the Minimum Registration Prices. Why would you do that in a declining terminal market? Minimum registration prices have been irrelevant in the past few months as bids, offers and traded levels far exceeded these. However with the recent decline […]

Trading at a standstill

Coffee is not changing hands, stakeholders with coffee stocks, whether farmers, middlemen or exporters, are sitting on them! Why is this happening? In 2 words: Finance and Price. Shippers that own expensive Washed parchment that has tied up their cash, cannot find an overseas buyer willing to pay 100 over plus. In an environment of […]

Inflation rate stabilising

Trading is slow, stock holders looking for prices similar to what they saw a month ago, however the relentless decline in the terminal markets dictate much lower bids. Shippers are starting to get worried that the gap between asking price and bid price is growing by the week. Undoubtably, the sharp and continuous lower market, […]

Turbines start producing electricity

Africa’s largest hydroelectric plant started producing electricity this week. Under construction since 2011 the dam is expected to double the Ethiopia’s electricity generation capacity. It’s existence has been hugely controversial, Egypt and Sudan have continuously expressed concerns as they are very dependent on the Nile for drinking and irrigation water. Power generated by the Grand […]

Another busy week

Increased availability of Naturals and a terminal market above 250 usc/lb again propelled business to get concluded this week. There seems to be reduced interest in Washed coffees as prices are deemed rather high. Naturals at significant discounts to Brazil prices continue to attract attention and since trading within Ethiopia is now allowed, activity intensified. […]

5 Million bags?

February export figures again did not disappoint, over 13 K MT brings the 11 month period March 21 to Jan 22 to over 290 K MT and keeps us on a path to reach 5 M bags by the end of Feb 22! Admittedly 13K MT is the lowest export figure for many months, but […]

It is quiet on all fronts!

It has been a quiet week on the coffee trading front in Ethiopia. Shippers are reluctant to offer, Naturals are currently not offered by agrabes even though the government announced the start of trading in Naturals this week. Washed coffees continue to be offered at high differentials even considering the recent strength in the terminal […]