According to the Vietnam Tea Association, Vietnam is currently the fifth-largest tea producer and exporter in the world. However, the average price of Vietnamese tea exports is only 65% of those in the leading tea-exporting countries. Especially, it is equal to 55% of the average export price of Indian and Sri Lankan tea. Therefore, improving product quality to create a new highlight in tea exports remains a significant challenge for Vietnam’s tea industry.
Fresh tea leaves – materials for Vietnamese tea exports
In the first 10 months of 2024, Vietnamese tea exports reached 120.31 thousand tons, valued at $211.93 million. It marked a 28.3% increase in volume and a 30.3% rise in value compared to the same period in 2023. The average export price was $1,762 per ton, up 1.5% from the same period in 2023.
Currently, Vietnamese tea exports have strong presence more than 70 countries and territories. In which, Pakistan is the largest export market. In the first 10 months of 2024, Vietnam’s tea exports to Pakistan accounted for 34.7% of the total export volume and 41.2% of the total export value. Taiwan (China) was the second-largest market, contributing 10.3% to the export volume and 10.1% to the export value.
Black tea from Vietnam
Notably, in the first 10 months of 2024, Vietnam’s tea exports to China saw a significant increase. Chinese market accounted for 9.5% of the total export volume and 7.7% of the total export value. This represented a notable rise compared to the same period in 2023, with 3.5% of the total volume and 4.7% of the total value.
Vietnam’s tea industry is progressing toward sustainable development by adopting production methods aligned with international certifications. Vietnam’s strengths include favorable soil and climate conditions for tea cultivation. Particularly, Vietnam has regions producing high-quality specialty teas like Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang, Lam Dong provinces.
In Thai Nguyen province, nearly 80% of the tea area—17,824 hectares—consists of new tea varieties. Additionally, around 2,500 hectares have received Vietgap certification, and hundreds of hectares are under organic cultivation methods.
A tea hill in Vietnam
In Lao Cai province, there are more than 300 households growing shan tuyet tea. Many have moved out of poverty and prospered by transitioning to organic shan tuyet tea farming for export to countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Recently, local farmers began exporting Hong Dao tea to the U.S. market at a premium price, opening new opportunities for tea growers.
“Unfortunately, many famous tea products, when exported, are sold to consumers without bearing the Vietnamese tea brand. This is largely because a significant portion of Vietnamese tea exports are as raw materials. Moreover, promotional activities for Vietnamese tea remain limited,” the Vietnam Tea Association remarked.
Vietnamese source: https://nhandan.vn/tao-dau-an-xuat-khau-cho-che-viet-nam-post850429.html