Understanding Tea

The Netherlands’ Tea Trade: Imports and Exports

The Netherlands, known for its strategic location and vibrant trade industry, plays a significant role in the global tea market. In 2021, the country exported a staggering $84.7 million worth of tea, securing its position as the 16th largest tea exporter in the world. While tea ranked as the 610th most exported product in the Netherlands that year, its impact on the country’s trade landscape is undeniable.

Tea Imports Exports

Tea Exports from the Netherlands

The Netherlands primarily exports tea to Spain, Germany, Belgium, Poland, and Austria. Among these, Spain tops the list with imports amounting to $13.2 million, followed closely by Germany at $11.9 million, Belgium at $10.5 million, Poland at $6.78 million, and Austria at $5.58 million.

Notably, between 2020 and 2021, the Netherlands experienced remarkable growth in tea exports to Germany, which increased by a substantial $4.49 million. Finland and Ireland also exhibited promising growth, with increases of $1.25 million and $1.04 million, respectively.

ContinentCountryTrade Value
AfricaAngola3,051
AfricaBurundi794
AfricaBenin5,925
AfricaBurkina Faso6,270
AfricaBotswana125
AfricaCentral African Republic59,862
AfricaCote d’Ivoire429
AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo15,807
AfricaRepublic of the Congo5,228
AfricaEgypt134,395
AfricaEritrea6,525
AfricaGabon10,271
AfricaGhana10,880
AfricaGuinea19,756
AfricaGambia33,571
AfricaEquatorial Guinea8,848
AfricaKenya174
AfricaLiberia121
AfricaLibya5,292
AfricaMorocco15,631
AfricaMadagascar243
AfricaMali27,625
AfricaMozambique2,084
AfricaMauritius1,329
AfricaNigeria5,127
AfricaRwanda409
AfricaSudan563
AfricaSenegal78,228
AfricaSierra Leone409
AfricaSomalia18,915
AfricaSeychelles8,230
AfricaChad9,800
AfricaTogo20,831
AfricaTanzania13,395
AfricaSouth Africa182,973
AfricaZimbabwe6,140
AsiaAfghanistan15,503
AsiaUnited Arab Emirates160,651
AsiaAzerbaijan6,413
AsiaBahrain3,427
AsiaChina69,309
AsiaCyprus246,657
AsiaGeorgia1,817
AsiaHong Kong102,098
AsiaIndonesia19
AsiaIndia31,876
AsiaIraq53,344
AsiaIsrael40,263
AsiaJordan10,182
AsiaJapan33,484
AsiaKazakhstan49,182
AsiaCambodia12
AsiaSouth Korea70,954
AsiaKuwait33,717
AsiaLebanon7,798
AsiaSri Lanka380
AsiaMaldives2,894
AsiaBurma12
AsiaMongolia14,864
AsiaMalaysia25,917
AsiaNepal25
AsiaOman22,779
AsiaQatar19,258
AsiaSaudi Arabia168,468
AsiaSingapore11,750
AsiaThailand22,286
AsiaTurkey638,884
AsiaChinese Taipei9,403
EuropeAlbania664
EuropeAndorra64
EuropeAustria5,577,651
EuropeBelgium10,455,390
EuropeBulgaria96,655
EuropeBosnia and Herzegovina29,958
EuropeSwitzerland1,842,786
EuropeCzechia3,726,509
EuropeGermany11,924,664
EuropeDenmark4,399,137
EuropeSpain1,3167,025
EuropeEstonia121,237
EuropeFinland1,537,668
EuropeFrance4,729,037
EuropeUnited Kingdom3,677,143
EuropeGibraltar1,836
EuropeGreece522,308
EuropeCroatia70,498
EuropeHungary3,572,877
EuropeIreland1,464,622
EuropeIceland76,147
EuropeItaly3,394,566
EuropeLithuania86,374
EuropeLuxembourg73,686
EuropeLatvia66,364
EuropeMoldova10,030
EuropeNorth Macedonia1,590
EuropeMalta95,847
EuropeMontenegro46
EuropeNorway769,506
EuropePoland6,784,950
EuropePortugal311,498
EuropeRomania211,228
EuropeRussia268,421
EuropeSerbia52,254
EuropeSlovakia104,526
EuropeSlovenia13,415
EuropeSweden682,819
EuropeUkraine47,372
North AmericaAruba110,942
North AmericaBonaire35,724
North AmericaBermuda51
North AmericaCanada103,555
North AmericaCosta Rica15
North AmericaCuba70
North AmericaCuraçao131,289
North AmericaSaint Martin9,978
North AmericaMexico71,425
North AmericaPanama13,508
North AmericaTrinidad and Tobago957
North AmericaUnited States295,642
North AmericaSaint Vincent and the Grenadines24
OceaniaAustralia99,016
OceaniaNew Zealand117,732
OceaniaWallis and Futuna211
South AmericaArgentina114
South AmericaChile870,724
South AmericaColombia123
South AmericaGuyana38,318
South AmericaSuriname260,506
Table: Where Does the Netherlands Export Its Tea (2021)

Tea Imports in the Netherlands

In 2021, the Netherlands imported $134 million worth of tea, establishing itself as the 19th largest tea importer globally. While tea ranked as the 553rd most imported product in the Netherlands that year, its significance in the country’s trade cannot be understated. The Netherlands primarily sources its tea imports from Germany, Sri Lanka, Poland, India, and the United Kingdom. Germany accounts for the highest tea imports, valued at $24.8 million, followed by Sri Lanka with $22 million, Poland with $15.6 million, India with $15 million, and the United Kingdom with $12.9 million.

Between 2020 and 2021, the fastest-growing import markets for tea in the Netherlands were the United Kingdom, experiencing an impressive increase of $5.38 million, the United States with $1.6 million, and Germany with $1.35 million.

ContinentCountryTrade Value
AfricaAngola236
AfricaBurkina Faso153
AfricaCameroon335
AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo297
AfricaEgypt1,848
AfricaEthiopia1,895
AfricaGhana955
AfricaKenya5,339,040
AfricaLibya6
AfricaMorocco361,190
AfricaMadagascar41
AfricaMali901
AfricaMozambique733,273
AfricaMalawi68,720
AfricaNigeria2,394
AfricaRwanda163,916
AfricaSenegal28,839
AfricaTogo329
AfricaTunisia187
AfricaTanzania78,841
AfricaUganda61,947
AfricaSouth Africa66,189
AfricaZimbabwe2
AsiaUnited Arab Emirates1,191,990
AsiaBangladesh158
AsiaChina10,219,108
AsiaCyprus1,895
AsiaGeorgia1
AsiaHong Kong168,250
AsiaIndonesia1,550,740
AsiaIndia15,044,527
AsiaIran49,465
AsiaIraq422
AsiaIsrael74,316
AsiaJordan4,576
AsiaJapan1,706,329
AsiaKazakhstan46
AsiaSouth Korea399,744
AsiaLebanon8,434
AsiaSri Lanka22,015,122
AsiaBurma54,255
AsiaMalaysia3,300
AsiaNepal91,932
AsiaOman832
AsiaPakistan13,238
AsiaPhilippines1,763
AsiaQatar1,018
AsiaSaudi Arabia684
AsiaSingapore57,573
AsiaSyria126,355
AsiaThailand589,812
AsiaTurkey951,197
AsiaVietnam260,717
AsiaChinese Taipei825,838
EuropeAlbania94
EuropeAustria312,966
EuropeBelgium3,061,759
EuropeBulgaria36,996
EuropeBosnia and Herzegovina12,146
EuropeBelarus62,804
EuropeSwitzerland1,309,496
EuropeCzechia85,308
EuropeGermany24,781,055
EuropeDenmark90,454
EuropeSpain246,036
EuropeEstonia5,776
EuropeFinland38,092
EuropeFrance7,669,591
EuropeUnited Kingdom12,874,539
EuropeGreece29,915
EuropeCroatia7,795
EuropeHungary129,809
EuropeIreland25,362
EuropeIceland160
EuropeItaly939,662
EuropeLithuania96,745
EuropeLuxembourg54,057
EuropeLatvia8,128
EuropeNorth Macedonia40
EuropeMalta349
EuropeMontenegro366
EuropeNorway21,115
EuropePoland15,554,914
EuropePortugal2,327
EuropeRomania21,013
EuropeRussia92,687
EuropeSlovakia5,726
EuropeSlovenia4,865
EuropeSweden36,079
EuropeUkraine191,970
North AmericaCanada188,625
North AmericaCuraçao116
North AmericaJamaica200
North AmericaSaint Martin7
North AmericaMexico269
North AmericaPanama51
North AmericaUnited States3,241,506
OceaniaAustralia96,634
OceaniaNew Zealand198
South AmericaArgentina658,437
South AmericaBolivia21
South AmericaBrazil6,850
South AmericaChile67
South AmericaColombia767
South AmericaEcuador80,522
South AmericaPeru1,222
South AmericaSuriname19,026
South AmericaUruguay249
Table: Where Does the Netherlands Import Its Tea (2021)

Vietnam Tea: A Popular and Reliable Choice for the Netherlands’ Imports

Vietnam tea has consistently been a popular and trustworthy choice for the Netherlands, thanks to its premium quality and competitive pricing. In 2021, the Netherlands imported tea from Vietnam with a total value of $260,717. Vietnam holds a significant position as an important supplier of tea to the Netherlands, catering to its tea requirements effectively.

Tariffs on Tea Trade

In 2019, the Netherlands imposed an average tariff rate of 0.3% on tea imports. However, some countries applied higher import tariffs on tea. The Republic of the Congo, Algeria, Western Sahara, Gabon, and Libya had the highest import tariffs for tea, all subject to a Most Favored Nation duty rate treatment of 0.8%.

Conclusion

The Netherlands’ tea industry showcases the country’s prowess as a tea trading powerhouse. With significant tea exports valued at $84.7 million, the Netherlands holds an influential position in the global market. Its exports reach key destinations such as Spain, Germany, and Belgium, while witnessing growth in markets like Germany, Finland, and Ireland. The Netherlands’ substantial tea imports, totaling $134 million, support domestic consumption, with Germany, Sri Lanka, and Poland being the primary sources. Understanding tariff rates is crucial for tea traders, as the Netherlands applies a relatively low average tariff rate, while certain countries enforce higher tariffs on tea imports. As the Netherlands continues to play a vital role in the global tea trade, it will be fascinating to observe the industry’s development and the country’s trade dynamics in the years to come.

Data: BACI

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