Understanding Tea

Australia: A Growing Player in the Global Tea Trade

In 2021, Australia demonstrated its growing presence in the global tea trade. With tea exports valued at $8.16M, Australia ranked 49th among the largest tea exporters worldwide. Although tea stood as the 502nd most exported product from Australia in that year, its significance in the country’s trade landscape should not be underestimated.

Tea Imports Exports

Tea Exports from Australia

Australia’s key destinations for tea exports include New Zealand, Japan, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. New Zealand was the top recipient, importing tea worth $2.02M from Australia, followed by Japan with $1.64M, China with $759k, the United States with $734k, and the United Kingdom with $505k.

Notably, the fastest-growing export markets for Australian tea between 2020 and 2021 were the United States, which experienced an impressive increase of $530k, followed by the United Kingdom with $309k, and China with $294k.

ContinentCountryTrade Value
AfricaBotswana587
AfricaKenya179
AfricaMauritius1,108
AfricaNigeria101
AfricaSeychelles138
AfricaTanzania5
AfricaSouth Africa3,012
AfricaZimbabwe86
AsiaUnited Arab Emirates293,372
AsiaBangladesh874
AsiaBahrain579
AsiaBrunei45,747
AsiaChina759,162
AsiaCyprus1,050
AsiaHong Kong217,086
AsiaIndonesia635
AsiaIndia157,033
AsiaJapan1,639,272
AsiaCambodia10,967
AsiaSouth Korea148,897
AsiaKuwait22,376
AsiaLebanon2,426
AsiaSri Lanka2,079
AsiaMacau14,731
AsiaMaldives60,312
AsiaMalaysia357,431
AsiaNepal108
AsiaOman3,235
AsiaPhilippines52,730
AsiaSaudi Arabia87,477
AsiaSingapore216,116
AsiaThailand10,569
AsiaTimor-Leste782
AsiaTurkey1,391
AsiaVietnam10,596
AsiaChinese Taipei4,263
EuropeAustria58
EuropeBelgium1,927
EuropeSwitzerland2,414
EuropeCzechia189
EuropeGermany153,334
EuropeDenmark19,417
EuropeSpain1,477
EuropeEstonia116
EuropeFinland865
EuropeFrance7,992
EuropeUnited Kingdom504,703
EuropeGreece18,960
EuropeCroatia50
EuropeHungary1,810
EuropeIreland1,509
EuropeIceland22,076
EuropeLithuania93
EuropeLatvia111
EuropeMalta60
EuropeNetherlands96,634
EuropeNorway7,975
EuropePoland49
EuropePortugal22
EuropeRomania6,039
EuropeSlovakia75
EuropeSweden18165
North AmericaBermuda91
North AmericaCanada152,599
North AmericaJamaica172
North AmericaTrinidad and Tobago271
North AmericaUnited States734,369
OceaniaCook Islands607
OceaniaFiji137,154
OceaniaNew Caledonia15,445
OceaniaNauru7,015
OceaniaNew Zealand2,023,866
OceaniaPapua New Guinea93,204
OceaniaFrench Polynesia1,690
OceaniaSolomon Islands211
OceaniaVanuatu2,468
OceaniaSamoa1,622
Table: Where Does Australia Export Its Tea (2021)

Tea Imports in Australia

In 2021, Australia imported tea valued at $120M, positioning itself as the 23rd largest tea importer globally. Although tea ranked as the 314th most imported product in Australia that year, its demand remains substantial. Australia primarily imports tea from Sri Lanka, India, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Sri Lanka held the largest share, accounting for $22.9M in tea imports, followed closely by India with $21.8M, Poland with $19.8M, the United Arab Emirates with $18.3M, and Indonesia with $11.1M.

Notably, between 2020 and 2021, Sri Lanka saw a remarkable increase in tea imports by Australia, totaling $6.81M. New Zealand followed suit with a significant growth of $4.11M, while Japan witnessed an upsurge of $912k.

ContinentCountryTrade Value
AfricaBotswana107
AfricaEgypt39,986
AfricaEthiopia7,284
AfricaKenya45,083
AfricaMorocco922,414
AfricaMauritius33,354
AfricaRwanda141,846
AfricaSierra Leone46,684
AfricaTanzania41,077
AfricaSouth Africa102,680
AfricaZimbabwe2,199
AsiaUnited Arab Emirates18,300,265
AsiaBangladesh4,469
AsiaBhutan2,107
AsiaChina3,412,947
AsiaHong Kong69,050
AsiaIndonesia11,121,177
AsiaIndia21,750,152
AsiaIran41,032
AsiaIraq70,845
AsiaIsrael217,356
AsiaJordan13,097
AsiaJapan3,264,609
AsiaCambodia5,989
AsiaSouth Korea312,797
AsiaLebanon6,984
AsiaSri Lanka22,861,074
AsiaBurma125,677
AsiaMalaysia119,690
AsiaNepal43,503
AsiaPakistan631,289
AsiaPhilippines7,914
AsiaSingapore1,114,727
AsiaSyria12,641
AsiaThailand198,731
AsiaTurkey118,301
AsiaVietnam287,792
AsiaChinese Taipei3,683,866
EuropeAlbania15,595
EuropeAustria7,399
EuropeBelgium189
EuropeBosnia and Herzegovina1,003
EuropeSwitzerland2,219
EuropeCzechia844
EuropeGermany2,167,690
EuropeSpain88
EuropeFinland555
EuropeFrance403,742
EuropeUnited Kingdom1,765,509
EuropeGreece8,407
EuropeCroatia1,857
EuropeIreland330,089
EuropeIceland123
EuropeItaly39,722
EuropeLithuania10,126
EuropeLuxembourg55
EuropeNorth Macedonia1,458
EuropeMalta319
EuropeMontenegro9
EuropeNetherlands99,016
EuropePoland19,790,124
EuropePortugal632
EuropeRomania7,333
EuropeRussia4,965
EuropeSerbia1,052
EuropeSweden1,982
EuropeUkraine3,517
North AmericaCanada9,271
North AmericaMexico883
North AmericaUnited States1,089,407
OceaniaFiji11,279
OceaniaNew Zealand4,616,701
South AmericaArgentina7,295
South AmericaBrazil10,485
South AmericaChile331
South AmericaPeru295
South AmericaSuriname2,634
Table: Where Does Australia Import Its Tea (2021)

Vietnam Tea: A Popular and Reliable Choice for Australia’s Imports

Vietnam tea has consistently been a popular and trustworthy choice for Australia, thanks to its premium quality and competitive pricing. In 2021, Australia imported tea from Vietnam with a total value of $287,792. Vietnam holds a significant position as an important supplier of tea to Australia, catering to its tea requirements effectively.

Conclusion

Australia’s tea trade landscape showcases its growing presence in the global market. As an exporter, Australia has established strong connections with key destinations such as New Zealand, Japan, and China. Meanwhile, as an importer, Australia’s significant imports from countries like Sri Lanka, India, and Poland illustrate its openness to diverse tea sources and its commitment to meeting the demands of its tea-loving population. As Australia’s tea industry continues to thrive, it is expected to contribute further to the global tea trade, shaping consumer preferences and fostering international collaborations within the industry.

Data: BACI

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