Overall, the value of imported tea for all buyer countries rose by an average 3.2% since 2014 when tea purchases equaled at $7.2 billion. Year over year, the value of tea imports increased by 4.8% from 2017 to 2018.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries bought the highest dollar worth of tea imported during 2018 with purchases valued at $3.4 billion or 45.7% of the global total. Close behind in second place were European countries at 29.1% while 13.5% of worldwide tea imports were delivered to customers in Africa. North America’s imported tea amounted to a 8.7% share.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Oceania (1.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand, and Latin America (1.2%) 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 2018.
- Pakistan: US$571.3 million (7.7% of total tea imports)
- Russia: $497 million (6.7%)
- United States: $487.3 million (6.6%)
- United Kingdom: $396.3 million (5.3%)
- United Arab Emirates: $323.2 million (4.3%)
- Egypt: $318.1 million (4.3%)
- Iran: $292.4 million (3.9%)
- Afghanistan: $292.2 million (3.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $252.5 million (3.4%)
- Germany: $229.8 million (3.1%)
- Morocco: $220.6 million (3%)
- Vietnam: $182.4 million (2.5%)
- Japan: $182.1 million (2.4%)
- France: $180.8 million (2.4%)
- China: $177.8 million (2.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 61.9% of all tea imports in 2018.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for tea since 2014 were: Vietnam (up 2,200%), China (up 93.1%), Afghanistan (up 85.9%) and Pakistan (up 74%).
Five countries posted declines in their imported tea purchases namely: United Arab Emirates (down -52.3%), Russia (down -23%), Egypt (down -7.7%), Japan (down -4%) and Germany (down -3.2%).
Pakistan
Tea Imports into Pakistan
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Pakistan imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2018. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2014.
- Kenya: US$440.9 million (up 89.3% from 2014)
- Rwanda: $42.7 million (up 125.6%)
- India: $24.2 million (down -0.4%)
- Burundi: $13.3 million (up 24.2%)
- Vietnam: $12.5 million (up 26.6%)
- Tanzania: $10.8 million (up 86.4%)
- Uganda: $10.3 million (up 95.7%)
- Indonesia: $5.1 million (down -37.6%)
- China: $3.8 million (up 10.9%)
- Malawi: $3.1 million (up 2.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $2 million (up 1133.8%)
- Bangladesh: $917,000 (down -65%)
- Ethiopia: $914,000 (down -55.4%)
- Argentina: $410,000 (no 2014 data)
- Sri Lanka: $185,000 (down -52.8%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of all Pakistani tea imports in 2018.
Three countries grew their supplies of tea to Pakistan since 2014: United Arab Emirates (up 1,134%), Rwanda (up 125.6%) and Uganda (up 95.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplies to Pakistani importers included: Bangladesh (down -65%), Ethiopia (down -55.4%), Sri Lanka (down -52.8%) and Indonesia (down -37.6%).
Overall, the value of Pakistani tea imports rose by an average 74% from all supplying countries since 2014 when tea purchases were valued at $328.3 million.
Russia
Tea Imports into Russia
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Russia imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2018. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2014.
- Sri Lanka: US$149.5 million (down -38.8% from 2014)
- India: $123 million (up 8.1%)
- Kenya: $65.6 million (down -21.3%)
- China: $45.1 million (down -18.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $28 million (down -45.6%)
- Vietnam: $25.1 million (up 15.5%)
- Indonesia: $14.7 million (down -37.7%)
- Kazakhstan: $8.8 million (up 64.3%)
- Germany: $8.1 million (down -50.9%)
- Zimbabwe: $4.2 million (up 2095.3%)
- Iran: $4.2 million (up 92.6%)
- Azerbaijan: $3.3 million (down -46.8%)
- Argentina: $2.8 million (up 81.8%)
- Tanzania: $2.4 million (down -43.8%)
- Poland: $2.1 million (down -42.1%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 98% of all Russian tea imports in 2018.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to Russia since 2014 were: Zimbabwe (up 2,095%), Iran (up 92.6%), Argentina (up 81.8%) and Kazakhstan (up 64.3%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplies to Russian importers included: Germany (down -50.9%), Azerbaijan (down -46.8%), United Arab Emirates (down -45.6%) and Tanzania (down -43.8%).
Overall, the value of Russian tea imports dropped by an average -23% from all supplying countries since 2014 when tea purchases were valued at $645.8 million.
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 2018. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2014.
- China: US$94.2 million (up 1.1% from 2014)
- Argentina: $71 million (down -20.5%)
- Japan: $64 million (up 102.1%)
- India: $51.2 million (down -14.9%)
- Sri Lanka: $43.7 million (up 28%)
- Canada: $33.3 million (up 49.1%)
- United Kingdom: $15.4 million (up 22.4%)
- Malawi: $15.3 million (down -4.3%)
- Taiwan: $14.5 million (up 78.6%)
- Germany: $14 million (down -40.6%)
- Vietnam: $8.8 million (down -36.4%)
- Indonesia: $7.5 million (down -13.9%)
- Kenya: $7.2 million (down -26.8%)
- Zimbabwe: $5 million (up 112.1%)
- Morocco: $4.1 million (down -38.8%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 92.2% of all America’s tea imports in 2018.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to United States since 2014 were: Zimbabwe (up 112.1%), Japan (up 102.1%), Taiwan (up 78.6%) and Canada (up 49.1%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplies to American importers included: Germany (down -40.6%), Morocco (down -38.8%), Vietnam (down -36.4%) and Kenya (down -26.8%).
Overall, the value of American tea imports increased by an average 4.3% from all supplying countries since 2014 when tea purchases were valued at $467.3 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 2018. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2014.
- Kenya: US$176.6 million (up 46.6% from 2014)
- India: $62.5 million (up 4.4%)
- Malawi: $24.4 million (up 53.8%)
- Poland: $22.5 million (up 18.3%)
- Sri Lanka: $13.7 million (up 8.9%)
- China: $12.1 million (down -2.4%)
- Germany: $11.4 million (up 9.8%)
- Switzerland: $9.4 million (down -7.3%)
- Zimbabwe: $8.3 million (up 75.9%)
- Tanzania: $7.5 million (down -12.6%)
- South Africa: $6.4 million (up 56.8%)
- United States: $4.5 million (down -8.7%)
- Rwanda: $4.3 million (up 55.0%)
- Mozambique: $3.8 million (up 590.2%)
- Ireland: $3.3 million (down -54.3%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 93.5% of all UK tea imports in 2018.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to United Kingdom since 2014 were: Mozambique (up 590.2%), Zimbabwe (up 75.9%), South Africa (up 56.8%) and Rwanda (up 55%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplies to UK importers included: Ireland (down -54.3%), Tanzania (down -12.6%), United States (down -8.7%) and Switzerland (down -7.3%).
Overall, the value of UK tea imports expanded by an average 6.1% from all supplying countries since 2014 when tea purchases were valued at $373.5 million.
Searchable List of Tea Importing Countries in 2018
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.
| Rank | Importer | Tea Imports (US$) | %World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pakistan | $571,327,000 | 7.7% |
| 2. | Russia | $497,016,000 | 6.7% |
| 3. | United States | $487,294,000 | 6.6% |
| 4. | United Kingdom | $396,274,000 | 5.3% |
| 5. | United Arab Emirates | $323,161,000 | 4.3% |
| 6. | Egypt | $318,109,000 | 4.3% |
| 7. | Iran | $292,357,000 | 3.9% |
| 8. | Afghanistan | $292,221,000 | 3.9% |
| 9. | Saudi Arabia | $252,516,000 | 3.4% |
| 10. | Germany | $229,817,000 | 3.1% |
| 11. | Morocco | $220,638,000 | 3% |
| 12. | Vietnam | $182,405,000 | 2.5% |
| 13. | Japan | $182,118,000 | 2.4% |
| 14. | France | $180,786,000 | 2.4% |
| 15. | China | $177,824,000 | 2.4% |
| 16. | Hong Kong | $151,848,000 | 2% |
| 17. | Canada | $145,676,000 | 2% |
| 18. | Netherlands | $122,187,000 | 1.6% |
| 19. | Poland | $116,556,000 | 1.6% |
| 20. | Kazakhstan | $112,716,000 | 1.5% |
| 21. | Australia | $103,467,000 | 1.4% |
| 22. | Taiwan | $79,890,000 | 1.1% |
| 23. | Italy | $77,980,000 | 1% |
| 24. | Malaysia | $77,114,000 | 1% |
| 25. | Belgium | $75,210,000 | 1% |
| 26. | Togo | $64,258,000 | 0.9% |
| 27. | Kuwait | $61,386,000 | 0.8% |
| 28. | Yemen | $59,471,000 | 0.8% |
| 29. | Iraq | $59,447,000 | 0.8% |
| 30. | Uzbekistan | $58,276,000 | 0.8% |
| 31. | Ukraine | $57,897,000 | 0.8% |
| 32. | Chile | $57,803,000 | 0.8% |
| 33. | Jordan | $52,720,000 | 0.7% |
| 34. | Algeria | $51,827,000 | 0.7% |
| 35. | Ireland | $51,275,000 | 0.7% |
| 36. | Azerbaijan | $49,807,000 | 0.7% |
| 37. | Sudan | $47,356,000 | 0.6% |
| 38. | Singapore | $45,767,000 | 0.6% |
| 39. | South Africa | $45,360,000 | 0.6% |
| 40. | Sweden | $39,045,000 | 0.5% |
| 41. | Turkey | $38,911,000 | 0.5% |
| 42. | Belarus | $37,269,000 | 0.5% |
| 43. | Switzerland | $37,155,000 | 0.5% |
| 44. | Spain | $36,142,000 | 0.5% |
| 45. | Mali | $30,554,000 | 0.4% |
| 46. | Indonesia | $29,430,000 | 0.4% |
| 47. | Austria | $29,233,000 | 0.4% |
| 48. | Denmark | $28,840,000 | 0.4% |
| 49. | India | $27,393,000 | 0.4% |
| 50. | Lebanon | $26,896,000 | 0.4% |
| 51. | Libya | $24,723,000 | 0.3% |
| 52. | Czech Republic | $24,298,000 | 0.3% |
| 53. | New Zealand | $23,440,000 | 0.3% |
| 54. | South Korea | $20,863,000 | 0.3% |
| 55. | Thailand | $19,777,000 | 0.3% |
| 56. | Nigeria | $19,165,000 | 0.3% |
| 57. | Mauritania | $18,877,000 | 0.3% |
| 58. | Kenya | $18,029,000 | 0.2% |
| 59. | Sri Lanka | $17,612,000 | 0.2% |
| 60. | Norway | $17,386,000 | 0.2% |
| 61. | Benin | $17,113,000 | 0.2% |
| 62. | Qatar | $16,943,000 | 0.2% |
| 63. | Bahrain | $15,766,000 | 0.2% |
| 64. | Finland | $14,665,000 | 0.2% |
| 65. | Lithuania | $13,282,000 | 0.2% |
| 66. | Mexico | $12,892,000 | 0.2% |
| 67. | Guinea | $12,375,000 | 0.2% |
| 68. | Turkmenistan | $11,634,000 | 0.2% |
| 69. | Kyrgyzstan | $11,296,000 | 0.2% |
| 70. | Senegal | $11,015,000 | 0.1% |
| 71. | Tunisia | $9,921,000 | 0.1% |
| 72. | Israel | $9,247,000 | 0.1% |
| 73. | Hungary | $9,097,000 | 0.1% |
| 74. | Niger | $9,063,000 | 0.1% |
| 75. | Latvia | $9,024,000 | 0.1% |
| 76. | Cameroon | $8,900,000 | 0.1% |
| 77. | Georgia | $8,873,000 | 0.1% |
| 78. | Greece | $8,738,000 | 0.1% |
| 79. | Moldova | $8,041,000 | 0.1% |
| 80. | Ivory Coast | $7,878,000 | 0.1% |
| 81. | Portugal | $7,792,000 | 0.1% |
| 82. | Tajikistan | $7,718,000 | 0.1% |
| 83. | Philippines | $7,665,000 | 0.1% |
| 84. | Macao | $7,479,000 | 0.1% |
| 85. | Somalia | $7,293,000 | 0.1% |
| 86. | Botswana | $7,289,000 | 0.1% |
| 87. | Bulgaria | $7,067,000 | 0.1% |
| 88. | Bangladesh | $6,828,000 | 0.1% |
| 89. | Angola | $6,359,000 | 0.1% |
| 90. | Namibia | $5,831,000 | 0.1% |
| 91. | Estonia | $5,807,000 | 0.1% |
| 92. | Romania | $5,134,000 | 0.1% |
| 93. | Cambodia | $5,083,000 | 0.1% |
| 94. | Mongolia | $4,993,000 | 0.1% |
| 95. | Oman | $4,963,000 | 0.1% |
| 96. | Mozambique | $4,392,000 | 0.1% |
| 97. | Ghana | $4,071,000 | 0.1% |
| 98. | Zambia | $3,769,000 | 0.1% |
| 99. | Luxembourg | $3,573,000 | 0.05% |
| 100. | Burkina Faso | $3,543,000 | 0.05% |
| 101. | Fiji | $3,480,000 | 0.05% |
| 102. | Slovakia | $3,479,000 | 0.05% |
| 103. | Brazil | $2,928,000 | 0.04% |
| 104. | Trinidad/Tobago | $2,889,000 | 0.04% |
| 105. | Armenia | $2,870,000 | 0.04% |
| 106. | Syria | $2,844,000 | 0.04% |
| 107. | Eswatini | $2,755,000 | 0.04% |
| 108. | Zimbabwe | $2,670,000 | 0.04% |
| 109. | Peru | $2,417,000 | 0.03% |
| 110. | Lesotho | $2,406,000 | 0.03% |
| 111. | Cyprus | $2,403,000 | 0.03% |
| 112. | Malta | $2,163,000 | 0.03% |
| 113. | Djibouti | $2,110,000 | 0.03% |
| 114. | Argentina | $2,101,000 | 0.03% |
| 115. | Maldives | $2,082,000 | 0.03% |
| 116. | Panama | $1,993,000 | 0.03% |
| 117. | Gambia | $1,976,000 | 0.03% |
| 118. | Uruguay | $1,961,000 | 0.03% |
| 119. | Slovenia | $1,908,000 | 0.03% |
| 120. | Croatia | $1,831,000 | 0.02% |
| 121. | North Macedonia | $1,825,000 | 0.02% |
| 122. | Palestine | $1,776,000 | 0.02% |
| 123. | Colombia | $1,767,000 | 0.02% |
| 124. | Gabon | $1,757,000 | 0.02% |
| 125. | Barbados | $1,741,000 | 0.02% |
| 126. | Guatemala | $1,735,000 | 0.02% |
| 127. | Iceland | $1,734,000 | 0.02% |
| 128. | Costa Rica | $1,680,000 | 0.02% |
| 129. | Solomon Islands | $1,631,000 | 0.02% |
| 130. | Suriname | $1,564,000 | 0.02% |
| 131. | Guyana | $1,490,000 | 0.02% |
| 132. | Mauritius | $1,441,000 | 0.02% |
| 133. | Myanmar (Burma) | $1,307,000 | 0.02% |
| 134. | Brunei Darussalam | $1,305,000 | 0.02% |
| 135. | South Sudan | $1,242,000 | 0.02% |
| 136. | Paraguay | $1,215,000 | 0.02% |
| 137. | Bolivia | $1,209,000 | 0.02% |
| 138. | Jamaica | $1,123,000 | 0.02% |
| 139. | Bhutan | $1,115,000 | 0.01% |
| 140. | Congo | $1,086,000 | 0.01% |
| 141. | Sierra Leone | $1,082,000 | 0.01% |
| 142. | Bahamas | $1,060,000 | 0.01% |
| 143. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $1,038,000 | 0.01% |
| 144. | Dominican Republic | $977,000 | 0.01% |
| 145. | New Caledonia | $913,000 | 0.01% |
| 146. | Chad | $821,000 | 0.01% |
| 147. | Seychelles | $791,000 | 0.01% |
| 148. | Nepal | $753,000 | 0.01% |
| 149. | Serbia | $676,000 | 0.01% |
| 150. | Liberia | $671,000 | 0.01% |
| 151. | Aruba | $642,000 | 0.01% |
| 152. | El Salvador | $639,000 | 0.01% |
| 153. | Belize | $615,000 | 0.01% |
| 154. | Bermuda | $612,000 | 0.01% |
| 155. | Eritrea | $599,000 | 0.01% |
| 156. | Cuba | $589,000 | 0.01% |
| 157. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $572,000 | 0.01% |
| 158. | Palau | $554,000 | 0.01% |
| 159. | Tanzania | $479,000 | 0.01% |
| 160. | Curaçao | $474,000 | 0.01% |
| 161. | Uganda | $466,000 | 0.01% |
| 162. | Greenland | $443,000 | 0.01% |
| 163. | French Polynesia | $428,000 | 0.01% |
| 164. | Andorra | $427,000 | 0.01% |
| 165. | Antigua/Barbuda | $421,000 | 0.01% |
| 166. | Honduras | $332,000 | 0.004% |
| 167. | Papua New Guinea | $323,000 | 0.004% |
| 168. | Malawi | $311,000 | 0.004% |
| 169. | Montenegro | $282,000 | 0.004% |
| 170. | Samoa | $279,000 | 0.004% |
| 171. | Ecuador | $277,000 | 0.004% |
| 172. | Faroe Islands | $274,000 | 0.004% |
| 173. | Nicaragua | $254,000 | 0.003% |
| 174. | Ethiopia | $239,000 | 0.003% |
| 175. | Laos | $230,000 | 0.003% |
| 176. | Cabo Verde | $222,000 | 0.003% |
| 177. | Timor-Leste | $216,000 | 0.003% |
| 178. | Rwanda | $212,000 | 0.003% |
| 179. | Guinea-Bissau | $202,000 | 0.003% |
| 180. | Cayman Islands | $193,000 | 0.003% |
| 181. | Venezuela | $187,000 | 0.003% |
| 182. | Gibraltar | $178,000 | 0.002% |
| 183. | Comoros | $173,000 | 0.002% |
| 184. | Central African Rep. | $160,000 | 0.002% |
| 185. | US Minor Outlying Is. | $149,000 | 0.002% |
| 186. | Equatorial Guinea | $137,000 | 0.002% |
| 187. | Albania | $131,000 | 0.002% |
| 188. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $112,000 | 0.002% |
| 189. | Madagascar | $104,000 | 0.001% |
| 190. | Grenada | $93,000 | 0.001% |
| 191. | Vanuatu | $89,000 | 0.001% |
| 192. | British Virgin Islands | $76,000 | 0.001% |
| 193. | Kiribati | $71,000 | 0.001% |
| 194. | Saint Lucia | $67,000 | 0.001% |
| 195. | Cook Islands | $54,000 | 0.001% |
| 196. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $48,000 | 0.001% |
| 197. | Tonga | $46,000 | 0.001% |
| 198. | North Korea | $46,000 | 0.001% |
| 199. | Nauru | $39,000 | 0.001% |
| 200. | Sao Tome/Principe | $39,000 | 0.001% |
| 201. | Northern Mariana Is. | $36,000 | 0.0005% |
| 202. | Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba | $35,000 | 0.0005% |
| 203. | Dominica | $34,000 | 0.0005% |
| 204. | St. Pierre/Miquelon | $32,000 | 0.0004% |
| 205. | Saint Helena | $31,000 | 0.0004% |
| 206. | Anguilla | $26,000 | 0.0003% |
| 207. | Tuvalu | $22,000 | 0.0003% |
| 208. | Micronesia | $19,000 | 0.0003% |
| 209. | Haiti | $19,000 | 0.0003% |
| 210. | Wallis/Futuna Islands | $15,000 | 0.0002% |
| 211. | Niue | $11,000 | 0.0001% |
| 212. | Marshall Islands | $7,000 | 0.0001% |
| 213. | St Maarten (Dutch) | $7,000 | 0.0001% |
| 214. | Tokelau | $6,000 | 0.0001% |
| 215. | Norfolk Island | $5,000 | 0.0001% |
| 216. | French S./Antarctic Terr. | $3,000 | 0.00004% |
| 217. | Montserrat | $2,000 | 0.00003% |
| 218. | Saint Kitts/Nevis | $2,000 | 0.00003% |
| 219. | Falkland Is. (Malvinas) | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 220. | Burundi | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
See also Tea Exports by Country, Coffee Exports by Country and Coffee Imports by Country
Research Sources:
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 31, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 17, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on April 17, 2019