(Dec 24): French crop trader Sucres et Denrées SA, a major cocoa buyer, has closed its operations in Ivory Coast’s port of San Pedro, according to sources familiar with the matter. Ivory Coast is the world’s top grower of the crop and many cocoa traders have operations in San Pedro, which is close to key growing regions. The closure of the San Pedro centre comes at the peak of the West African nation’s main harvest. Amid the volatility in the market, Sucden’s head of cocoa left the commodities trader earlier this year. Maurice Varsano, son of the company’s chief executive officer, was later named head of the Paris cocoa unit.

Source: The Edge Markets December 24, 2025 12:12 UTC