Tea exports from India rose by 14.8 per cent to 140.28 million kilograms (mkgs) in the January-August period of 2022, according to the data by Tea Board. India exported 122.18 million kilograms of tea during the same period last year. India’s tea export stood at Rs 3,837.28 crore in the first eight months of 2022 as compared to Rs 3,353.35 crore in the previous year.
The data showed that CIS countries remain the largest importer of Indian tea with 30.56 mkgs in the first eight months of 2022, marginally higher than 29.13 mkgs shipped to these nations in the year-ago period.
Quoting an industry source, PTI reported that “shipping and container costs which skyrocketed due to the war” resulting in this minor rise in the export.
UAE was the second-largest importer of Indian tea after the CIS counties with 23.84 mkgs of shipments. A rise of 157 per cent from 9.27 mkgs in the same period in 2021. UAE has the potential to become a large importer of Indian tea, the report said. The country prefers the orthodox variety as compared to the CTC (cut, tear, curl) variety.
Tea shipments to the West Asian countries failed to pick up due to economic sanctions imposed by the US on Iran. Exports to Iran marginally increased to 16.40 mkgs in the January-August period as compared to 16.06 mkgs last year.
Tea shipments to China were down to 3.55 mkgs from January to August this year from 4.05 mkgs in the first eight months of 2021. China is considered to be the largest tea-producing and -drinking nation. Exports to countries such as the US, Germany, Japan, and Kenya slightly declined, while Canada, Poland, Ireland, Australia, and Egypt bought more Indian teas.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also bought more tea from India in the January-August period compared to the same last year.