Overall, the value of imported tea for all buyer countries shrank by an average -15.9% since 2015 when tea purchases equaled at $6.8 billion. Year over year, the value of tea imports decreased by -20.4% from 2018 to 2019.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries bought the highest dollar worth of tea imported during 2019 with purchases costing $2.1 billion or 37.2% of the global total. Close behind in second place were European countries at 35.4% while 12.7% of worldwide tea imports were delivered to customers in Africa. North America’s imported tea amounted to 11.1%.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Oceania (2.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand, and Latin America (1.3%) minus Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for tea is 0902.
Tea Imports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2019.
- United States: US$488.4 million (8.5% of total imported tea)
- Russia: $425.7 million (7.4%)
- United Kingdom: $356.5 million (6.2%)
- Vietnam: $249.4 million (4.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: $236.6 million (4.1%)
- Iran: $234.1 million (4.1%)
- Morocco: $232 million (4%)
- Germany: $220.5 million (3.8%)
- China: $187.3 million (3.3%)
- Hong Kong: $186.4 million (3.2%)
- Japan: $179.8 million (3.1%)
- France: $166.9 million (2.9%)
- Netherlands: $153.8 million (2.7%)
- Canada: $138.8 million (2.4%)
- Poland: $122.8 million (2.1%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for tea since 2015 were: Vietnam (up 2,622%), Hong Kong (up 162.5%), China (up 77.4%) and Netherlands (up 37.6%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported tea purchases were led by: Russia (down -30.4%), United Kingdom (down -11.1%), Saudi Arabia (down -7.5%) and Germany (down -2.3%).
The listed 15 countries purchased 62.3% of all tea imported in 2019.
USA
Tea Imports into the United States
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the United States imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$76.4 million (down -25.4% from 2015)
- Argentina: $62.3 million (down -27.7%)
- Japan: $61.9 million (up 61.3%)
- India: $55.5 million (down -6%)
- Sri Lanka: $49.2 million (up 40.7%)
- Canada: $36.1 million (up 48.5%)
- Taiwan: $17.4 million (up 95.4%)
- Malawi: $17.3 million (up 99%)
- Poland: $16.9 million (up 285.6%)
- United Kingdom: $14.6 million (up 5.9%)
- Germany: $12.9 million (down -42.8%)
- Indonesia: $12.1 million (up 70.3%)
- Vietnam: $7.5 million (down -32.9%)
- Kenya: $7 million (down -16.7%)
- Zimbabwe: $4.8 million (up 130.2%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 92.5% of tea imported by the United States in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to the US since 2015 were: Poland (up 285.6%), Zimbabwe (up 130.2%), Malawi (up 99%) and Taiwan (up 95.4%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to American importers included: Germany (down -42.8%), Vietnam (down -32.9%), Argentina (down -27.7%) and China (down -25.4%).
Overall, the value of US imported tea appreciated by an average 4.2% from all supplying countries since 2015 when tea purchased cost $468.7 million.
Russia
Tea Imports into Russia
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Russia imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- Sri Lanka: US$131.6 million (down -29.1% from 2015)
- India: $111 million (down -7.8%)
- Kenya: $47.1 million (down -56.5%)
- China: $40.5 million (down -22%)
- Vietnam: $24.7 million (down -11.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $20.2 million (down -56.9%)
- Indonesia: $13.2 million (down -59.6%)
- Kazakhstan: $9.6 million (up 82.8%)
- Germany: $7.3 million (up 8.8%)
- Argentina: $3.1 million (up 96.8%)
- Azerbaijan: $2.5 million (down -30.8%)
- Tanzania: $2 million (down -76.5%)
- Poland: $1.6 million (down -22.6%)
- Zimbabwe: $1.6 million (up 127.8%)
- Rwanda: $1.4 million (up 54.6%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 98% of tea imported by Russia in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to Russia since 2015 were: Zimbabwe (up 127.8%), Argentina (up 96.8%), Kazakhstan (up 82.8%) and Rwanda (up 54.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to Russian importers included: Tanzania (down -76.5%), Indonesia (down -59.6%), United Arab Emirates (down -56.9%) and Kenya (down -56.5%).
Overall, the value of Russia’s imported tea fell by an average -30.4% from all supplying countries since 2015 when tea purchased cost $611.9 million.
UK
Tea Imports into the United Kingdom
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the United Kingdom imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- Kenya: US$150.9 million (down -5.8% from 2015)
- India: $49.7 million (down -19.3%)
- Malawi: $24.7 million (up 43.2%)
- Poland: $22.9 million (up 19.3%)
- Sri Lanka: $14.6 million (up 16.1%)
- China: $11.4 million (down -11.7%)
- Germany: $11 million (down -4.1%)
- Switzerland: $9.9 million (up 7%)
- Tanzania: $8.5 million (down -11.6%)
- Rwanda: $8.5 million (up 14%)
- Zimbabwe: $4.7 million (down -45.4%)
- Netherlands: $4.3 million (down -70.5%)
- United States: $4.3 million (down -15%)
- Ireland: $4 million (down -31.8%)
- South Africa: $3.4 million (up 5.4%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 93.4% of tea imported by the United Kingdom in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to the United Kingdom since 2015 were: Malawi (up 43.2%), Poland (up 19.3%), Sri Lanka (up 16.1%) and Rwanda (up 14%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to UK importers included: Netherlands (down -70.5%), Zimbabwe (down -45.4%), Ireland (down -31.8%) and India (down -19.3%).
Overall, the value of United Kingdom’s imported tea retreated by an average -11.1% from all supplying countries since 2015 when tea purchased cost $401 million.
Vietnam
Tea Imports into Vietnam
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Vietnam imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$12.7 million (up 265.3% from 2015)
- Indonesia: $5.4 million (up 123.7%)
- Taiwan: $2.3 million (up 3,075%)
- Japan: $1.2 million (up 2,350%)
- Sri Lanka: $722,000 (up 129.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $259,000 (up 181.5%)
- Kenya: $164,000 (no 2018 data)
- Germany: $162,000 (up 671.4%)
- Singapore: $149,000 (up 60.2%)
- United States: $124,000 (down -17.3%)
- Poland: $92,000 (no 2018 data)
- France: $89,000 (up 169.7%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $56,000 (no 2018 data)
- Tanzania: $35,000 (no 2018 data)
- India: $29,000 (up 262.5%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 99.5% of tea imported by Vietnam in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to Vietnam since 2015 were: Taiwan (up 3,075%), Japan (up 2,350%), Germany (up 671.4%) and China (up 265.3%).
One country experienced a decline in the value of its tea supplied to Vietnamese importers namely the United States via a -17.3% drop.
Overall, the value of Vietnam’s imported tea accelerated by an average 197% from all supplying countries since 2015 when tea purchased cost $7.9 million.
Searchable List of Tea Importing Countries in 2019
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2018 data was available.
| Rank | Importer | Tea Imports (US$) | 2018-19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $488,414,000 | +0.2% |
| 2. | Russia | $425,724,000 | -14.3% |
| 3. | United Kingdom | $356,515,000 | -10.4% |
| 4. | Vietnam | $249,394,000 | +959% |
| 5. | Saudi Arabia | $236,629,000 | -6.3% |
| 6. | Iran | $234,066,000 | -19.9% |
| 7. | Morocco | $231,999,000 | +5.3% |
| 8. | Germany | $220,455,000 | -7.2% |
| 9. | China | $187,320,000 | +5.3% |
| 10. | Hong Kong | $186,429,000 | +22.8% |
| 11. | Japan | $179,805,000 | -1.4% |
| 12. | France | $166,887,000 | -7.8% |
| 13. | Netherlands | $153,762,000 | +0.1% |
| 14. | Canada | $138,797,000 | -4.7% |
| 15. | Poland | $122,812,000 | +5.4% |
| 16. | Kazakhstan | $107,803,000 | -4.4% |
| 17. | Australia | $105,433,000 | +1.9% |
| 18. | Malaysia | $96,761,000 | +24.9% |
| 19. | Taiwan | $82,881,000 | +3.2% |
| 20. | Italy | $78,315,000 | +0.3% |
| 21. | Ghana | $75,710,000 | +1,760% |
| 22. | Belgium | $74,742,000 | -1.2% |
| 23. | Togo | $67,750,000 | +5.4% |
| 24. | Mauritania | $63,735,000 | +237.7% |
| 25. | United Arab Emirates | $58,958,000 | -81.8% |
| 26. | Azerbaijan | $55,049,000 | +10.5% |
| 27. | India | $52,844,000 | +91.5% |
| 28. | Ireland | $51,549,000 | +1.2% |
| 29. | Algeria | $50,782,000 | -2.1% |
| 30. | Singapore | $50,743,000 | +10.8% |
| 31. | Myanmar (Burma) | $45,915,000 | +3,413% |
| 32. | Chile | $44,231,000 | -23.7% |
| 33. | South Africa | $40,249,000 | -10.1% |
| 34. | Spain | $40,127,000 | +14.5% |
| 35. | Turkey | $39,475,000 | +1.4% |
| 36. | Uzbekistan | $39,058,000 | -17.5% |
| 37. | Switzerland | $36,665,000 | -1.3% |
| 38. | Sweden | $35,486,000 | -9.4% |
| 39. | Denmark | $33,471,000 | +12.4% |
| 40. | Ukraine | $30,553,000 | -47.3% |
| 41. | Austria | $28,345,000 | -3.3% |
| 42. | Czech Republic | $27,687,000 | +13.6% |
| 43. | Belarus | $26,449,000 | -29.2% |
| 44. | New Zealand | $24,273,000 | +3.3% |
| 45. | Gambia | $23,785,000 | +1,104% |
| 46. | Thailand | $22,274,000 | +12.4% |
| 47. | Pakistan | $20,763,000 | -96.4% |
| 48. | South Korea | $20,039,000 | -3.9% |
| 49. | Mali | $18,585,000 | -39.2% |
| 50. | Indonesia | $18,445,000 | -37.3% |
| 51. | Nigeria | $18,054,000 | -5.8% |
| 52. | Libya | $18,014,000 | -27.1% |
| 53. | Norway | $16,033,000 | -7.9% |
| 54. | Niger | $15,830,000 | +48.8% |
| 55. | Finland | $14,727,000 | -0.2% |
| 56. | Egypt | $14,177,000 | -95.5% |
| 57. | Afghanistan | $13,918,000 | -90.5% |
| 58. | Lithuania | $12,909,000 | -3% |
| 59. | Cameroon | $12,760,000 | +41.7% |
| 60. | Qatar | $11,691,000 | -62.6% |
| 61. | Philippines | $11,458,000 | +49.5% |
| 62. | Sri Lanka | $11,458,000 | -35.6% |
| 63. | Kyrgyzstan | $11,192,000 | -12.5% |
| 64. | Guinea | $9,899,000 | -20% |
| 65. | Ivory Coast | $9,720,000 | +23.9% |
| 66. | Mexico | $9,694,000 | -24.8% |
| 67. | Georgia | $9,693,000 | +27% |
| 68. | Latvia | $9,671,000 | +1.3% |
| 69. | Iraq | $9,201,000 | -86.1% |
| 70. | Macao | $9,068,000 | 0% |
| 71. | Hungary | $8,954,000 | +8.4% |
| 72. | Israel | $8,432,000 | -8.8% |
| 73. | Greece | $8,425,000 | -3.6% |
| 74. | Botswana | $8,038,000 | +10.3% |
| 75. | Kuwait | $7,933,000 | -87.1% |
| 76. | Turkmenistan | $7,838,000 | -32.6% |
| 77. | Tunisia | $7,658,000 | -22.8% |
| 78. | Cambodia | $7,183,000 | +574.5% |
| 79. | Portugal | $7,117,000 | -7.3% |
| 80. | Tajikistan | $7,092,000 | -8.1% |
| 81. | Moldova | $7,037,000 | -12.5% |
| 82. | Bangladesh | $6,651,000 | -6.1% |
| 83. | Senegal | $6,513,000 | -40.9% |
| 84. | Bulgaria | $5,369,000 | -24.2% |
| 85. | Estonia | $5,356,000 | -7.9% |
| 86. | Romania | $5,350,000 | +4.6% |
| 87. | Namibia | $5,172,000 | -11.3% |
| 88. | Mozambique | $4,153,000 | -5.4% |
| 89. | Jordan | $3,827,000 | -92.7% |
| 90. | Slovakia | $3,718,000 | -5.2% |
| 91. | Colombia | $3,275,000 | +85.3% |
| 92. | Luxembourg | $3,267,000 | -8.6% |
| 93. | Zambia | $3,220,000 | -14.7% |
| 94. | Brazil | $2,978,000 | +1.7% |
| 95. | Eswatini | $2,798,000 | -1.7% |
| 96. | Slovenia | $2,710,000 | +35.7% |
| 97. | Oman | $2,698,000 | -91.7% |
| 98. | Angola | $2,637,000 | -58.5% |
| 99. | Armenia | $2,528,000 | -11.9% |
| 100. | Mongolia | $2,511,000 | -49.7% |
| 101. | Cyprus | $2,437,000 | +1.4% |
| 102. | Lesotho | $2,429,000 | +0.5% |
| 103. | Croatia | $2,258,000 | +23% |
| 104. | Bahrain | $2,204,000 | -86% |
| 105. | Peru | $2,192,000 | -9.3% |
| 106. | Guatemala | $2,070,000 | +19.4% |
| 107. | Malta | $1,969,000 | -12.1% |
| 108. | Costa Rica | $1,828,000 | +8.8% |
| 109. | Burkina Faso | $1,795,000 | -49.7% |
| 110. | North Macedonia | $1,731,000 | -5.2% |
| 111. | Uruguay | $1,724,000 | -12.1% |
| 112. | Argentina | $1,685,000 | -19.8% |
| 113. | Brunei Darussalam | $1,650,000 | +26.6% |
| 114. | Iceland | $1,566,000 | -8.3% |
| 115. | Lebanon | $1,538,000 | -94.3% |
| 116. | Kenya | $1,528,000 | -91.5% |
| 117. | Mauritius | $1,475,000 | -4.8% |
| 118. | Congo | $1,427,000 | +31.2% |
| 119. | Trinidad/Tobago | $1,369,000 | -58.1% |
| 120. | Sierra Leone | $1,297,000 | +70.7% |
| 121. | Paraguay | $1,155,000 | -4.9% |
| 122. | Gabon | $1,119,000 | -36% |
| 123. | Jamaica | $1,079,000 | -24.6% |
| 124. | Barbados | $1,055,000 | -39.4% |
| 125. | Albania | $1,024,000 | +681.7% |
| 126. | Bahamas | $961,000 | -67.7% |
| 127. | Chad | $955,000 | +16% |
| 128. | Bhutan | $888,000 | -20.6% |
| 129. | Zimbabwe | $876,000 | -67.2% |
| 130. | Panama | $793,000 | -60.3% |
| 131. | Dominican Republic | $784,000 | -58.7% |
| 132. | Bolivia | $760,000 | -37.1% |
| 133. | Serbia | $747,000 | +9.5% |
| 134. | Aruba | $697,000 | +8.6% |
| 135. | Bermuda | $669,000 | +9.3% |
| 136. | Syria | $635,000 | -77.3% |
| 137. | Palestine | $634,000 | -90.6% |
| 138. | Democratic Rep. Congo | $610,000 | -42% |
| 139. | Nicaragua | $597,000 | +135% |
| 140. | New Caledonia | $594,000 | -35.9% |
| 141. | Belize | $589,000 | -4.2% |
| 142. | Cuba | $587,000 | -0.3% |
| 143. | Maldives | $577,000 | -72.3% |
| 144. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $572,000 | 0% |
| 145. | Nepal | $508,000 | -33.2% |
| 146. | Liberia | $485,000 | -27.4% |
| 147. | Benin | $483,000 | +49.1% |
| 148. | Curaçao | $437,000 | -17.9% |
| 149. | Greenland | $436,000 | -11.4% |
| 150. | Andorra | $428,000 | +0.2% |
| 151. | El Salvador | $426,000 | -33.3% |
| 152. | Montenegro | $406,000 | +44% |
| 153. | Venezuela | $391,000 | +98.5% |
| 154. | Suriname | $357,000 | -77.2% |
| 155. | Faroe Islands | $343,000 | +24.7% |
| 156. | French Polynesia | $342,000 | -17.4% |
| 157. | Ecuador | $308,000 | +11.2% |
| 158. | Fiji | $301,000 | -91.4% |
| 159. | Sudan | $301,000 | -99.4% |
| 160. | Antigua/Barbuda | $287,000 | -25.5% |
| 161. | Honduras | $279,000 | -16% |
| 162. | Gibraltar | $271,000 | +52.2% |
| 163. | Yemen | $264,000 | -99.6% |
| 164. | Laos | $249,000 | -71.1% |
| 165. | Malawi | $243,000 | -31.4% |
| 166. | Cabo Verde | $226,000 | +1.8% |
| 167. | Cayman Islands | $220,000 | -18.2% |
| 168. | Equatorial Guinea | $214,000 | +56.2% |
| 169. | Haiti | $177,000 | +831.6% |
| 170. | Seychelles | $173,000 | -78.2% |
| 171. | Palau | $153,000 | -72.4% |
| 172. | Central African Rep | $129,000 | +130.4% |
| 173. | Papua New Guinea | $128,000 | -60.5% |
| 174. | Madagascar | $120,000 | +14.3% |
| 175. | Saint Lucia | $116,000 | -55.4% |
| 176. | US Minor Outlying Is | $99,000 | -46.8% |
| 177. | Micronesia | $90,000 | +373.7% |
| 178. | Guyana | $83,000 | -94.4% |
| 179. | Somalia | $80,000 | -99.1% |
| 180. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $68,000 | +21.4% |
| 181. | Samoa | $63,000 | -77.4% |
| 182. | Uganda | $57,000 | -87.8% |
| 183. | Cook Islands | $57,000 | +7.5% |
| 184. | Sao Tome/Principe | $56,000 | +43.6% |
| 185. | Grenada | $45,000 | -65.9% |
| 186. | Guinea-Bissau | $44,000 | -78.2% |
| 187. | British Virgin Islands | $43,000 | -54.3% |
| 188. | Marshall Islands | $40,000 | +471.4% |
| 189. | South Sudan | $38,000 | -96.9% |
| 190. | Vanuatu | $31,000 | -62.2% |
| 191. | Wallis/Futuna Islands | $30,000 | +100% |
| 192. | Tanzania | $30,000 | -93.7% |
| 193. | Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba | $28,000 | -20% |
| 194. | Nauru | $23,000 | -41% |
| 195. | St. Pierre/Miquelon | $21,000 | -34.4% |
| 196. | Tonga | $20,000 | -56.5% |
| 197. | Rwanda | $16,000 | -96.7% |
| 198. | Solomon Islands | $14,000 | -99.1% |
| 199. | Falkland Is (Malvinas) | $14,000 | +1,300% |
| 200. | Anguilla | $13,000 | -50% |
| 201. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $12,000 | -89.3% |
| 202. | Eritrea | $11,000 | -98.3% |
| 203. | Northern Mariana Is | $10,000 | -72.2% |
| 204. | Djibouti | $9,000 | -99.6% |
| 205. | Timor-Leste | $8,000 | -96.3% |
| 206. | Niue | $5,000 | -54.5% |
| 207. | Saint Helena | $5,000 | -84.4% |
| 208. | Burundi | $5,000 | -72.2% |
| 209. | St Maarten (Dutch) | $4,000 | -50% |
| 210. | Norfolk Island | $4,000 | +100% |
| 211. | Comoros | $3,000 | -98.3% |
| 212. | French S./Antarctic Terr | $2,000 | -33.3% |
| 213. | North Korea | $2,000 | -95.7% |
| 214. | Montserrat | $1,000 | -66.7% |
| 215. | Ethiopia | $1,000 | -99.6% |
| 216. | Dominica | $1,000 | -98.8% |
| 217. | Pitcairn | $1,000 | 0% |
See also Tea Exports by Country, Coffee Exports by Country and Coffee Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on May 1, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 1, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 1, 2020