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Analysis and Studies - Products analysis

Green Tea: import and export

By SkyMinder Sales Enablement Team June 12th 2024

Green tea is considered one of the healthiest beverages, due to its high content of vitamins and antioxidants.

It was born in China around 2737 BC, when, according to the legend, Emperor Shennong accidentally drank boiled water with a tea leaf inside. It quickly spread throughout the country and became part of Chinese culture for both enjoyment and medical purposes. After being introduced to Europe in the 16th century, green tea’s popularity grew, although it encountered strong competition from the more dominant black tea in Western markets. Recently it has diversified in forms and flavors, leading to a significant increase in global consumption.

In 2022, green tea was the world's 2072nd most traded product, with a total trade of $1.12B.

In 2022 the country that exported green tea the most was China with a trade of $588M, ahead of Japan ($92.9M), Poland ($58.3M), Germany ($49.4M), and Sri Lanka ($49.3M). Whereas as regards the top importers, United States takes the first place with a trade of $112M, followed by Ghana ($105M), Malaysia ($64.2M), France ($63.6M), and Mauritania ($55.9M).

This diversity among the top exporters indicates varying strategies that reflect countries’ historical relationships, cultural affinities, and economic agreements.

 

 

China is the major exporter, accounting for over half of the global share and focusing on African and Asian markets. Japan has a concentrated export strategy, with nearly half of its exports going to North America, underscoring a deep trade connection with the United States.  While Poland and Germany export mostly in Europe, showing strong regional trade ties. Sri Lanka is more diversified across multiple countries.

  1. China (52.6%): 17.8% Ghana, 9.44% Mauritania, 9.4% Malaysia, 8.6% Senegal, 7.17% Mali, 3.23% France, 3.17% United States
  2. Japan (8.31%): 45.8% United States, 7.76% Canada, 5.69% Hong Kong, 5.5% Germany, 4.49% Chinese Taipei, 4.2% Malaysia, 2.17% France
  3. Poland (5.22%): 26.9% France, 6.41% Spain, 5.44% Netherlands, 4.9% United Arab Emirates, 4.6% United States
  4. Germany (4.42%): 15.8% France, 11.6% Netherlands, 7.08% Spain, 5.85% Switzerland, 2.7% United States
  5. Sri Lanka (4.41%): 20.9% United States, 8.24% Netherlands, 2.58% France, 2.17% United Arab Emirates, 1.19% Malaysia, 0.26% Ghana

As we can see, regional proximity is one of the causes of strong trade relationships: it’s the case of Canada and the United States, and the European countries.

 

 

The strong trade relationship between Japan and the United States is highlighted by Japan's significant export to the United States and substantial import of the United States from Japan.    There are different sourcing strategies and market demands: for instance Malaysia, Ghana and Mauritania heavily depend on China, whereas countries such as the United States and France have a more diversified import portfolio. Sri Lanka’s balanced approach is confirmed: it shares small percentages but varies across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

  1. United States (10%): 38% Japan, 16.7% China, 10.7% Canada, 9.23% Sri Lanka, 7.77% Chinese Taipei, 2.4% Poland, 1.19% Germany
  2. Ghana (9.39%): 99.7% China
  3. Malaysia (5.74%): 86.1% China, 6.08% Japan, 1.33% Chinese Taipei, 0.92% Sri Lanka
  4. France (5.68%): 29.9% China, 24.7% Poland, 12.3% Germany, 8.63% Belgium, 3.17% Japan, 2% Sri Lanka
  5. Mauritania (5%): 99.3% China

Between 2021 and 2022, the exports of green tea grew the fastest in Singapore, with an increase of $5.34M, followed by Vietnam ($3.12M), Canada ($2.85M), Peru ($2.64M), and United States ($1.79M).

 

 

  1. Singapore: from $4.16M to $9.5M
  2. Vietnam: from $3.04M to $6.16M
  3. Canada: from $10.9M to $13.7M
  4. Peru: from $700k to $3.34M
  5. United States: from $25.6M to $27.4M

Whereas as far as concerns imports, the country that saw a fastest growth was Mali, with an increase of $17.4M, ahead of Benin ($10.5M), Libya ($8.88M), Japan ($3.57M), and Indonesia ($2.87M).

 

 

  1. Mali: from $24.9M to $42.2M
  2. Benin: from $6.93M to 17.4M
  3. Libya: from $18.2M to $27M
  4. Japan: from $6.02M to $9.59M
  5. Indonesia: from $2.91M to $5.78M

Sources:

https://oec.world/en