Raízen, Copersucar, Cofco, Sucden, and São Martinho: Brazil's Leading Sugar Exporters

According to data from the Williams maritime agency, Brazil's sugar exports via ship holds reached 31.01 million tonnes last year. Despite an 8.9% contraction in the overall volume, the country's largest exporters demonstrated greater resilience. The top five sugar exporters—Raízen, Copersucar, Cofco, Sucden, and São Martinho—collectively saw their market share slightly increase to 38.6%, up from 38.2% in the previous year. These five companies together commercialized 11.97 million tonnes of sugar during the period. While this represents an 8% decrease from the 13 million tonnes observed in the prior year, their decline was less severe than the broader market's average. This indicates that these major players were less affected by the market downturn than the rest of the industry. In the 2025 export rankings, Raízen emerged as Brazil's largest sugar exporter. The company, which currently operates 28 mills, recorded a 7.5% annual decrease in volume, totaling 4.07 million tonnes. Nevertheless, its market share grew from 12.9% to 13.1%, allowing it to surpass the former leader, Copersucar. Copersucar, which markets the production of 38 units from 23 distinct groups, was the second-largest company exporting sugar through Brazilian ports in 2025. Its moved volume totaled 3.95 million tonnes, a 12.9% retraction compared to the previous year. Consequently, among the leading exporters, Copersucar was the only one to lose market share, dropping from 13.3% to 12.7%. Notably, Raízen and Copersucar combined were responsible for over 25% of the sugar dispatched via ship holds last year.