Tea exports up 18% to 185.31 mn kilograms in first 10 months of 2022: Data

Tea exports from India have increased 18.1 per cent at 185.31 million kilograms between January and October 2022, from 160 million kilograms in the similar previous first ten months.

According to Tea Board data, the CIS block countries remained the largest importer at 43.65 million kilograms during the first ten months of 2022, up from 36.95 million kilograms in the same period the previous year.

The UAE surfaced as the second largest importer at 32.95 million kilograms during the period in 2022, substantially higher from 12.45 million kilograms in the previous similar period.

Iran, which had been a big importer of the Indian orthodox variety, imported 19.52 million kilograms in the period January to October 2022, lower from 21.45 million kilograms in those 10 months in 2021.

Secretary general of Tea Association of India (TAI) P K Bhattacharya said that though shipments to Iran had fallen, the silver lining is that UAE has surfaced as a major importer after the CIS block.

Tea industry sources said it is not clearly known why Iran is not placing orders with India and suddenly stopped buying in the last two months. Even there has been no response from Tea Board on this issue, an industry source claimed.

Russia remained the largest importer in the CIS block at 32.80 million kilograms in the first 10 months of 2022.

Industry sources said shipments to Russia got affected due to the logistics difficulties caused in the aftermath of the armed conflict with Ukraine which is continuing.

The UK and the USA were moderate buyers at 8.33 million kilograms and 10.42 million kilograms in the first 10 months of 2022.

In the January-October period last year, the trade had earned foreign exchange of USD 650 million, higher from USD 590 million in the same previous period.