SAO PAULO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian orange juice producer Cutrale has suspended exports of orange juice concentrate from Brazil to the United States, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on Monday, as a new tax on exports has eroded its profits.
The Brazilian tax on exported juice concentrate has impacted the profit margins for shipments from Brazil, the world's largest orange juice exporter. Cutrale, which supplies Coca-Cola orange juice brands such as Minute Maid and Simply Orange, is looking to export from Mexico, the paper said, citing unnamed sources.
Cutrale, which usually ships about half its Brazilian orange juice exports to the United States, declined to comment on the report.
Ibiapaba Netto, director at industry group Citrus BR, said the group is trying to revert the new tax on orange juice imports, created in 2019 by an internal discussion within Brazil's internal revenue service.
There is a bill that could reverse the tax being analyzed in Congress and the group is also trying to question the tax in administrative proceedings. (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer, Editing by Louise Heavens and Bernadette Baum)
