The overall value of tea imported by all buyer countries declined by an average -6.5% since 2019 when global tea purchases cost $7.12 billion.
Year over year, the total dollar cost of imported tea fell by -12.2% compared to $7.58 billion during 2022.
In 2023, the 5 most valuable import markets for tea are Pakistan, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Russia then the United Kingdom. Combined, those major importers generated almost a third (31%) of the worldwide sales of imported tea.
About three-quarters (76.7%) of globally imported tea was for purchases of black teas, with the remaining 23.3% for imported green teas (down from 24.6% in the prior year).
From a continental perspective, Asian countries bought the most imported tea during 2023 with purchases totaling $3 billion or 44.8% of the worldwide total. In second place were European countries at 27.5% while another 14.4% of all tea imports was delivered to customers in Africa.
Smaller percentages went to North America (10%), Oceania (1.9%) led by Australia and New Zealand, then Latin America (1.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for tea is 0902.
Tea Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2023.
- Pakistan: US$592.2 million (8.9% of total tea imports)
- United States: $519.8 million (7.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $327.2 million (4.9%)
- Russia: $313.3 million (4.7%)
- United Kingdom: $310.3 million (4.7%)
- Egypt: $310.1 million (4.7%)
- Germany: $224.6 million (3.4%)
- Iraq: $194.4 million (2.9%)
- Hong Kong: $190 million (2.9%)
- Morocco: $187.4 million (2.8%)
- Japan: $159.6 million (2.4%)
- France: $152.2 million (2.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: $149.8 million (2.3%)
- mainland China: $146.5 million (2.2%)
- Canada: $134.8 million (2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 58.8% of all tea imported in 2023.
Among the above countries, growth markets for tea since 2022 were the United Arab Emirates (up 25.4%) and mainland China (up 0.3%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported tea purchases were led by: Saudi Arabia (down -32.9% from 2022), Russia (down -29.1%), Morocco (down -27.1%) and Iraq (down -19.3%).
Searchable List of Tea Importing Countries in 2023
Ranked in the database below, the 100 key import markets for tea accounted for 98.4% of the value of globally imported tea during 2023.
| Rank | Importer | Tea Imports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pakistan | $592,151,000 | -8.8% |
| 2. | United States | $519,785,000 | -7.1% |
| 3. | United Arab Emirates | $327,165,000 | +25.4% |
| 4. | Russia | $313,277,000 | -29.1% |
| 5. | United Kingdom | $310,292,000 | -12.9% |
| 6. | Egypt | $310,067,000 | -1.6% |
| 7. | Germany | $224,580,000 | -11.9% |
| 8. | Iraq | $194,361,000 | -19.3% |
| 9. | Hong Kong | $190,018,000 | -17.2% |
| 10. | Morocco | $187,447,000 | -27.1% |
| 11. | Japan | $159,613,000 | -4.1% |
| 12. | France | $152,236,000 | -11.1% |
| 13. | Saudi Arabia | $149,806,000 | -32.9% |
| 14. | mainland China | $146,452,000 | +0.3% |
| 15. | Canada | $134,846,000 | -3.3% |
| 16. | Iran | $118,064,000 | -78.9% |
| 17. | Netherlands | $113,536,000 | -6.6% |
| 18. | Poland | $110,679,000 | -20.9% |
| 19. | Kazakhstan | $105,299,000 | +13.8% |
| 20. | Australia | $105,046,000 | -7.4% |
| 21. | Vietnam | $89,857,000 | +264.6% |
| 22. | Malaysia | $89,717,000 | +13.1% |
| 23. | Taiwan | $80,630,000 | -4.5% |
| 24. | Italy | $79,340,000 | +0.9% |
| 25. | Algeria | $72,449,000 | +47.3% |
| 26. | Libya | $71,955,000 | +1% |
| 27. | Belgium | $71,770,000 | -5.7% |
| 28. | Azerbaijan | $70,557,000 | -6.5% |
| 29. | Uzbekistan | $64,770,000 | +53.8% |
| 30. | Yemen | $60,707,000 | -1.8% |
| 31. | Mali | $57,866,000 | +79% |
| 32. | Jordan | $57,775,000 | +15.2% |
| 33. | Sweden | $54,141,000 | +33.5% |
| 34. | Chile | $50,961,000 | -31% |
| 35. | Ukraine | $49,117,000 | -1.7% |
| 36. | Spain | $48,499,000 | +11% |
| 37. | Singapore | $47,936,000 | +1.2% |
| 38. | India | $45,925,000 | -19.9% |
| 39. | Ireland | $44,905,000 | -3.9% |
| 40. | Syria | $43,356,000 | +31.4% |
| 41. | Switzerland | $41,008,000 | +12.2% |
| 42. | Afghanistan | $40,804,000 | -21.7% |
| 43. | Türkiye | $36,377,000 | +52.7% |
| 44. | South Africa | $35,113,000 | -4.8% |
| 45. | Austria | $32,479,000 | +30.3% |
| 46. | Sudan | $31,277,000 | -19.3% |
| 47. | Czech Republic | $30,134,000 | -12.3% |
| 48. | Indonesia | $25,800,000 | -13.3% |
| 49. | Thailand | $24,974,000 | +8.7% |
| 50. | South Korea | $23,972,000 | -8.6% |
| 51. | Denmark | $22,769,000 | +15.4% |
| 52. | Mauritania | $22,418,000 | -1.4% |
| 53. | Guinea | $20,483,000 | +24.8% |
| 54. | Qatar | $20,353,000 | -18.5% |
| 55. | Philippines | $19,850,000 | +30.9% |
| 56. | Lebanon | $19,312,000 | +22.2% |
| 57. | Kuwait | $19,066,000 | -64.7% |
| 58. | Cameroon | $18,746,000 | +10.3% |
| 59. | Nigeria | $18,299,000 | -5.5% |
| 60. | Norway | $18,057,000 | +3.8% |
| 61. | Sri Lanka | $16,876,000 | +4.9% |
| 62. | Bahrain | $15,781,000 | +15.5% |
| 63. | New Zealand | $15,424,000 | +5.7% |
| 64. | Finland | $15,100,000 | +9% |
| 65. | Kyrgyzstan | $11,508,000 | -10% |
| 66. | Mexico | $11,428,000 | +5.6% |
| 67. | Macao | $11,393,000 | -21.2% |
| 68. | South Sudan | $11,335,000 | +211.1% |
| 69. | Lithuania | $10,737,000 | +1.5% |
| 70. | Ivory Coast | $10,480,000 | +5.9% |
| 71. | Hungary | $9,662,000 | -13.6% |
| 72. | Greece | $9,363,000 | +46.7% |
| 73. | Georgia | $8,996,000 | +12.8% |
| 74. | Kenya | $8,667,000 | +31.8% |
| 75. | Portugal | $8,636,000 | +12.7% |
| 76. | Israel | $7,959,000 | -22.7% |
| 77. | Chad | $7,809,000 | +140.8% |
| 78. | Moldova | $7,665,000 | +9.2% |
| 79. | Niger | $7,638,000 | -3.5% |
| 80. | Somalia | $7,539,000 | -23.7% |
| 81. | Botswana | $7,387,000 | -8.9% |
| 82. | Oman | $7,149,000 | -80% |
| 83. | Tajikistan | $7,099,000 | -2.9% |
| 84. | Albania | $6,221,000 | +12098% |
| 85. | Romania | $6,135,000 | -4.1% |
| 86. | Estonia | $5,645,000 | -5.9% |
| 87. | Senegal | $5,424,000 | -54.1% |
| 88. | Mongolia | $4,945,000 | -14.3% |
| 89. | Slovakia | $4,481,000 | -5.6% |
| 90. | Namibia | $4,290,000 | -3.9% |
| 91. | Bulgaria | $3,978,000 | -4.9% |
| 92. | Belarus | $3,968,000 | +3.1% |
| 93. | Myanmar | $3,896,000 | +18.5% |
| 94. | Fiji | $3,727,000 | -14.3% |
| 95. | Trinidad/Tobago | $3,701,000 | +19.9% |
| 96. | Congo | $3,695,000 | +1132% |
| 97. | Peru | $3,543,000 | -54.9% |
| 98. | Armenia | $3,506,000 | -4.1% |
| 99. | Cyprus | $3,437,000 | +2.8% |
| 100. | Mozambique | $3,338,000 | -6.9% |
Expanding the scope to the 100 leading buyer countries, the fastest-growing import markets for tea from 2022 to 2023 are Albania (up 12,098%), Congo (up 1,132%), Vietnam (up 264.6%), South Sudan (up 211.1%) and Chad (up 140.8%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2022 data was available.
Tea Imports into Pakistan
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Pakistan imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Kenya: US$497.2 million (down -7.24% from 2022)
- Rwanda: $26.9 million (down -19.4%)
- Uganda: $23.8 million (down -20.5%)
- Vietnam: $14.8 million (down -22%)
- Tanzania: $9.7 million (up 6.7%)
- Malawi: $9 million (up 61%)
- mainland China: $5.2 million (down -10.7%)
- Burundi: $3 million (down -57.4%)
- Indonesia: $1.9 million (down -25.8%)
- Bangladesh: $161,000 (down -8.5%)
- Sri Lanka: $113,000 (down -53.9%)
- Japan: $110,000 (2022 data unavailable)
- Kazakhstan: $34,000 (2022 data unavailable)
- Ethiopia: $30,000 (up 100%)
- United Arab Emirates: $12,000 (up 9.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.99% of tea imported by Pakistan in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to Pakistan since 2022 were: Ethiopia (up 100%), Malawi (up 61%), United Arab Emirates (up 9.1%) and Tanzania (up 6.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to Pakistani importers included: Burundi (down -57.4% from 2022), Sri Lanka (down -53.9%), Indonesia (down -25.8%) and Vietnam (down -22%).
Overall, the value of Pakistan’s imported tea retreated by an average -8.8% from all supplying countries since 2022 when tea purchased cost $649 million.
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 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Japan: US$107.2 million (up 25.95% from 2022)
- Argentina: $63.5 million (down -9.9%)
- India: $56.3 million (down -19.6%)
- mainland China: $51.7 million (down -29.1%)
- Sri Lanka: $46.5 million (down -11%)
- Taiwan: $22.1 million (down -18.6%)
- Canada: $21.9 million (down -2.7%)
- Poland: $20.1 million (down -3.2%)
- United Kingdom: $19.8 million (down -1.3%)
- Germany: $15.9 million (down -15.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: $12.6 million (up 60.1%)
- Malawi: $11.8 million (down -18.2%)
- Pakistan: $8.8 million (up 26.3%)
- Vietnam: $8.1 million (down -32%)
- South Korea: $6.3 million (up 24%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 90.9% of tea imported by the United States of America in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to United States since 2022 were: United Arab Emirates (up 60.1%), Pakistan (up 26.3%), Japan (up 25.9%) and South Korea (up 24%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to American importers included: Vietnam (down -32%), mainland China (down -29.1%), India (down -19.6%) and Taiwan (down -18.6%).
Overall, the value of America’s imported tea went down by an average -7.1% from all supplying countries since 2022 when tea purchased cost $559.7 million.
Tea Imports into the United Kingdom
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Britain imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Kenya: US$122.5 million (down -9.6% from 2022)
- India: $44.7 million (down -19.9%)
- Switzerland: $18 million (up 4.9%)
- Sri Lanka: $16 million (up 3%)
- Malawi: $15.9 million (down -28%)
- Rwanda: $13.8 million (down -32.3%)
- Poland: $12 million (up 5.3%)
- mainland China: $9.2 million (down -46.2%)
- Germany: $7.5 million (up 44.6%)
- Tanzania: $7.4 million (down -37.7%)
- South Africa: $6.47 million (up 28.1%)
- Japan: $5.10 million (up 28.6%)
- Türkiye: $4.80 million (up 10.2%)
- Ireland: $2.88 million (up 34.8%)
- Ethiopia: $2.4 million (up 842.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93% of tea imported by the UK in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to United Kingdom since 2022 were: Ethiopia (up 842.5%), Germany (up 44.6%), Ireland (up 34.8%) and Japan (up 28.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to UK’s importers included: mainland China (down -46.2% from 2022), Tanzania (down -37.7%), Rwanda (down -32.3%) and Malawi (down -28%).
Overall, the value of United Kingdom’s imported tea diminished by an average -12.9% from all supplying countries since 2022 when tea purchased cost $356.1 million.
Tea Imports into Egypt
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Egypt imported the highest dollar value worth of tea during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Kenya: US$285.1 million (up 2.3% from 2022)
- India: $7.3 million (up 175.8%)
- Sri Lanka: $7.2 million (down -30.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: $3.8 million (down -58.8%)
- mainland China: $2.4 million (down -13.1%)
- Malawi: $1.7 million (up 27.6%)
- Uganda: $844,000 (up 125.7%)
- Tanzania: $415,000 (down -60.1%)
- Rwanda: $366,000 (down -73%)
- Poland: $329,000 (down -56.3%)
- Jordan: $164,000 (down -93.1%)
- Vietnam: $98,000 (down -17.6%)
- United Kingdom: $96,000 (down -25.6%)
- United States of America: $89,000 (up 15.6%)
- Indonesia: $77,000 (down -79.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.97% of tea imported by Egypt in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of tea to Egypt since 2022 were: India (up 175.8%), Uganda (up 125.7%), Malawi (up 27.6%) and the United States of America (up 15.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their tea supplied to Egyptian importers included: Jordan (down -93.1% from 2022), Indonesia (down -79.3%), Rwanda (down -73%) and Tanzania (down -60.1%).
Overall, the value of Egypt’s imported tea slowed by an average -1.6% from all supplying countries since 2022 when tea purchased cost $315 million.
See also Tea Exports by Country, Coffee Exports by Country, Coffee Imports by Country, Hot Chocolate Exports by Country and Wine Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 29, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 29, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 29, 2024