Commodity composition of Brazilian exports 1821-1951

Brazil declared its independence from Portugal in 1822, at which point annual tributes to the Portuguese crown largely stopped, and the ruling elite gained greater autonomy over the commodities that could be produced and exported. Around the time of independence, cotton made up the largest share of exports, at over a quarter of all exports, and the share of sugar exports was fairly similar.

Slavery

Slave labor was largely responsible for the production of cash crops across the Americas in these years, and such industries were susceptible to developments in the transatlantic slave trade. For example, Brazil's sugar industry was undercut by production in British colonies during the 18^th century, as the supply of slaves to these regions was heavier and journeys to Europe were shorter, while technological advancements such as the cotton gin saw the U.S. become the major cotton producer in the Americas. However, the 19^th century was significant as it marked the abolition of slavery in the Americas; as Brazil was the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888, it was able to capitalize on abolition elsewhere to produce commodities cheaper than other regions; with this, it became the largest producer of coffee in the world by 1850.

Brazilian coffee

Brazil remains the largest producer of coffee in the world today, and produced over half of the world's coffee from 1850 to 1950. While slavery's abolition often resulted in the decline of cash crop industries, such as in Haiti or Jamaica, Brazil's coffee industry remained highly productive as it did not make financial sense to relocate elsewhere (similar to Cuba's sugar industry), although profitability did fall as the industry transitioned to waged labor. During the early 20^th century, the Americas also avoided much of the destruction experienced across Europe, Asia, and Africa, which helped these countries maintain their large share in commodity markets, although recent decades have also seen African and Asian countries emerge as major coffee producers.