Year over year, the value of worldwide tea exports shrank by an average -14% compared to $8.51 billion in 2022.
The 5 biggest exporters of tea are mainland China, Kenya, Sri Lanka, India and Poland. Collectively, that quintet of major tea exporters approached three-quarters (72.7%) of international tea sales.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported tea during 2023 with shipments valued at $4.5 billion or 61.4% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Africa at 22.5% while another 13.1% of overall tea shipments originated from Europe.
Tinier percentages of globally exported tea came from suppliers in North America (1.8%), Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for tea is 0902.
Tea Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2023.
- mainland China: US$1.7 billion (23.8% of total tea exports)
- Kenya: $1.4 billion (18.5%)
- Sri Lanka: $1.3 billion (17.6%)
- India: $706.3 million (9.6%)
- Poland: $235 million (3.2%)
- Germany: $230.9 million (3.2%)
- Japan: $210.7 million (2.9%)
- United Kingdom: $120.5 million (1.6%)
- Taiwan: $99.3 million (1.4%)
- United States: $98.5 million (1.3%)
- Netherlands: $87.9 million (1.2%)
- Vietnam: $84.8 million (1.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $78.1 million (1.1%)
- Malawi: $70.6 million (1%)
- Indonesia: $69 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 88.4% of worldwide tea exports in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing tea exporters from 2022 to 2023 were: Japan (up 23.6%), Netherlands (up 18.3%), Sri Lanka (up 4.5%) and the United States of America (up 0.8%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported tea sales were led by: United Arab Emirates (down -82.2% from 2022), Vietnam (down -62%), Indonesia (down -23.3%), mainland China (down -16.5%) and Malawi (down -11.5%).
For a more detailed listing for 100 top tea exporters, see the section Searchable List of Tea Exporting Countries below.
Searchable List of Tea Exporting Countries in 2023
The 100 top tea exporters in the automated database below accounted for 99.98% of international tea sales.
| Rank | Exporter | Tea Exports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $1,739,000,000 | -16.5% |
| 2. | Kenya | $1,354,218,000 | -2.3% |
| 3. | Sri Lanka | $1,289,913,000 | +4.5% |
| 4. | India | $706,327,000 | -6% |
| 5. | Poland | $235,033,000 | -7% |
| 6. | Germany | $230,943,000 | -1.7% |
| 7. | Japan | $210,674,000 | +23.6% |
| 8. | United Kingdom | $120,544,000 | -2% |
| 9. | Taiwan | $99,260,000 | +0.2% |
| 10. | United States | $98,511,000 | +0.8% |
| 11. | Netherlands | $87,878,000 | +18.3% |
| 12. | Vietnam | $84,827,000 | -62% |
| 13. | United Arab Emirates | $78,051,000 | -82.2% |
| 14. | Malawi | $70,573,000 | -11.5% |
| 15. | Indonesia | $69,015,000 | -23.3% |
| 16. | France | $66,510,000 | +6.1% |
| 17. | Argentina | $58,499,000 | -10.6% |
| 18. | Belgium | $53,363,000 | -13.7% |
| 19. | Rwanda | $48,034,000 | -56.1% |
| 20. | Russia | $43,638,000 | -22.5% |
| 21. | Morocco | $38,518,000 | +7.8% |
| 22. | Singapore | $33,090,000 | +21.2% |
| 23. | Tanzania | $31,135,000 | +3.7% |
| 24. | Uganda | $29,964,000 | -66.1% |
| 25. | Canada | $29,370,000 | -9.6% |
| 26. | Switzerland | $27,736,000 | +5.8% |
| 27. | Türkiye | $27,404,000 | +10.7% |
| 28. | Nepal | $25,550,000 | -21.4% |
| 29. | Kazakhstan | $24,576,000 | -8.1% |
| 30. | South Africa | $23,981,000 | -7.5% |
| 31. | Hong Kong | $22,286,000 | -45% |
| 32. | Thailand | $18,278,000 | -10.7% |
| 33. | Zimbabwe | $16,628,000 | -8.9% |
| 34. | Egypt | $16,431,000 | +36.5% |
| 35. | Pakistan | $15,472,000 | -25.3% |
| 36. | Spain | $13,180,000 | -4.7% |
| 37. | South Korea | $12,575,000 | -4.8% |
| 38. | Czech Republic | $12,488,000 | -8.3% |
| 39. | Malaysia | $11,913,000 | +39.9% |
| 40. | Austria | $11,862,000 | +8.9% |
| 41. | Burundi | $11,618,000 | -53.8% |
| 42. | Peru | $9,866,000 | -29.8% |
| 43. | Iran | $9,237,000 | -78.2% |
| 44. | Ireland | $8,850,000 | -49.1% |
| 45. | Sweden | $8,568,000 | -4.5% |
| 46. | Denmark | $8,301,000 | -5.2% |
| 47. | Italy | $7,825,000 | +10.9% |
| 48. | Azerbaijan | $6,605,000 | -42.6% |
| 49. | Ukraine | $5,321,000 | +30.9% |
| 50. | Mozambique | $4,932,000 | -8.9% |
| 51. | Australia | $4,845,000 | -36.3% |
| 52. | Lithuania | $3,496,000 | +7.7% |
| 53. | Myanmar | $3,195,000 | -17.6% |
| 54. | Israel | $2,329,000 | -23.4% |
| 55. | Ethiopia | $2,311,000 | +32.1% |
| 56. | Portugal | $2,209,000 | +6.5% |
| 57. | Colombia | $2,143,000 | -1.2% |
| 58. | Georgia | $1,692,000 | -17.5% |
| 59. | Brazil | $1,670,000 | +10.6% |
| 60. | Chile | $1,663,000 | -5.3% |
| 61. | Jamaica | $1,633,000 | -58% |
| 62. | New Zealand | $1,274,000 | -41.2% |
| 63. | Costa Rica | $1,208,000 | +37.7% |
| 64. | Greece | $1,196,000 | +91.4% |
| 65. | Ecuador | $1,155,000 | -10.5% |
| 66. | Bangladesh | $1,139,000 | -56.7% |
| 67. | Hungary | $1,086,000 | +14.8% |
| 68. | Finland | $1,035,000 | -7.1% |
| 69. | Jordan | $1,011,000 | -96.6% |
| 70. | Estonia | $1,005,000 | -6.3% |
| 71. | Slovakia | $917,000 | -29.4% |
| 72. | Kyrgyzstan | $850,000 | +108.8% |
| 73. | Luxembourg | $779,000 | -34.9% |
| 74. | Croatia | $762,000 | -6.7% |
| 75. | Honduras | $722,000 | +46.7% |
| 76. | Armenia | $714,000 | -15.3% |
| 77. | Macao | $674,000 | -36.3% |
| 78. | Romania | $646,000 | +5.9% |
| 79. | Yemen | $639,000 | -94.8% |
| 80. | Lebanon | $583,000 | -17% |
| 81. | Serbia | $557,000 | +0.5% |
| 82. | Bulgaria | $549,000 | +8.9% |
| 83. | Ghana | $511,000 | -29.3% |
| 84. | Mexico | $466,000 | -36.9% |
| 85. | Slovenia | $444,000 | -14.1% |
| 86. | Mauritius | $441,000 | +1905% |
| 87. | Laos | $368,000 | -51.5% |
| 88. | Trinidad/Tobago | $348,000 | -48.5% |
| 89. | Togo | $319,000 | +23.2% |
| 90. | Papua New Guinea | $265,000 | -23% |
| 91. | Syria | $263,000 | +34.9% |
| 92. | Sierra Leone | $192,000 | -55.5% |
| 93. | Benin | $183,000 | 0% |
| 94. | Moldova | $181,000 | +4.6% |
| 95. | Ivory Coast | $176,000 | +29.4% |
| 96. | Norway | $156,000 | +143.8% |
| 97. | Guatemala | $150,000 | -46.8% |
| 98. | Iraq | $136,000 | +6.3% |
| 99. | Saudi Arabia | $135,000 | -98.7% |
| 100. | Senegal | $131,000 | -95% |
Focusing on the 100 leading exporters, the fastest growing tea sellers on global markets from 2022 to 2023 were Mauritius (up 1,905%), Norway (up 143.8%), Kyrgyzstan (up 108.8%), Greece (up 91.4%), Honduras (up 46.7%) and Malaysia (up 39.9%).
You can change the presentation order in the database by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns. The right-most column highlights the percentage change in worldwide tea exports from 2022 to 2023.
Note that an entry of 0% in the far-right column means no value for 2022 was available.
Average Prices for Top Tea Export Countries
In 2023, the world average price for globally exported tea was an estimated US$4,040 per ton. That dollar metric reflects a flatlining 0.5% increase compared to an average $4,020 per ton during 2022.
Listed below are the average unit prices for the 15 countries that exported the greatest value in exported tea during 2023.
- mainland China: US$4,754 per ton of exported tea (down -14.1% from 2022)
- Kenya: $2,422 per ton (down -3.5%)
- Sri Lanka: $5,395 per ton (up 8%)
- India: $3,115 per ton (down -4%)
- Poland: $12,833 per ton (up 12.8%)
- Germany: $11,839 per ton (up 14%)
- Japan: $27,410 per ton (up 2.6%)
- United Kingdom: $9,240 per ton (up 28.8%)
- Taiwan: $13,154 per ton (up 6%)
- United States of America: $6,873 per ton (up 5.9%)
- Netherlands: $6,822 per ton (down -22.7%)
- Vietnam: $1,592 per ton (down -62%)
- Indonesia: $1,917 per ton (down -4.9%)
- France: $22,470 per ton (up 20.7%)
- Argentina: $1,180 per ton (up 1.8%)
The least costly tea is exported from Argentina, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya and India. All of these top tea exporters charged well below than the global average of $4,049 per ton in 2023.
The most expensive tea per ton was shipped from Japan, France, Taiwan, Poland and Germany.
Countries Generating Greatest Surpluses Trading Tea
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for tea during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported tea and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- mainland China: US$1.6 billion (net export surplus down -17.8% since 2022)
- Kenya: $1.35 billion (down -2.4%)
- Sri Lanka: $1.27 billion (up 4.5%)
- India: $660.4 million (down -4.8%)
- Poland: $124.4 million (up 10.2%)
- Malawi: $70.2 million (down -12%)
- Argentina: $56.2 million (down -10.1%)
- Japan: $51.1 million (up 1,193%)
- Rwanda: $48 million (down -56%)
- Indonesia: $43.2 million (down -28.2%)
- Tanzania: $30.5 million (up 3.7%)
- Uganda: $29.5 million (down -66.5%)
- Nepal: $25 million (down -21.1%)
- Taiwan: $18.6 million (up 27.5%)
- Zimbabwe: $15.7 million (down -9.6%)
Mainland China generated the highest surplus in the international trade of tea. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms China’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Causing Worst Deficits Trading Tea
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for tea during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported tea purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Pakistan: -US$572.5 million (net export deficit down -8.9% since 2022)
- United States of America: -$421.3 million (down -8.8%)
- Egypt: -$293.6 million (down -3.1%)
- Russia: -$269.6 million (down -30%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$248.5 million (reversing a $178.6 million surplus)
- Iraq: -$194.1 million (down -19.3%)
- United Kingdom: -$189.7 million (down -18.6%)
- Hong Kong: -$167.7 million (down -11.2%)
- Morocco: -$148.9 million (down -32.7%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$122.3 million (down -42.6%)
- Iran: -$108.8 million (down -78.9%)
- Canada: -$105.5 million (down -1.4%)
- Australia: -$100.2 million (down -5.4%)
- France: -$85.7 million (down -21%)
- Kazakhstan: -$80.7 million (up 22.6%)
Highly populous Pakistan incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of tea. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights the Asian country’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for tea-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Global Tea Exporting Companies
Below are global tea-processing conglomerates that represent established players engaged in the international tea trade. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.
- Akbar Tea (Sri Lanka)
- Bigelow Tea Company (United States)
- Douwe Egberts aka Pickwick (Netherlands)
- George Steuart Group (Sri Lanka)
- Harada Tea Processing (Japan)
- Lancashire Tea (United Kingdom)
- Red Rose Tea (United States)
- Salada Tea (United States)
- Teekanne (Germany)
- Ten Fu Group (China)
- Tetley – Tata Global Beverages (India)
- Twinings (United Kingdom)
See also Tea Imports by Country, Hot Chocolate Exports by Country, Coffee Exports by Country and Coffee Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for Tea. Accessed on July 25, 2023
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 25, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 25, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 25, 2023