After a four-year decline, the Vietnamese tea industry is seeing a recovery in its exports to Taiwan (China), particularly in the green and black tea segments - a positive signal amid the overall downturn in the global tea market.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade yesterday reported that the Import-Export Department had provided an update on Vietnam’s black tea exports to the Taiwanese market in 2024.
Vietnam remains the largest supplier of black tea to Taiwan (Taiwan), while the market share and export volume of competitors such as Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia have declined. According to data from the Taiwan Customs Administration, the total volume of black tea (HS codes 090230, 090240) imported into Taiwan in 2024 reached 18,700 tons, reflecting a 4.1 percent decrease in volume and a 3.4 percent drop in value compared to 2023.
Despite this overall decline, Vietnam’s black tea exports to Taiwan rose by 0.9 percent in both volume and value, totaling 7,970 tons.
Based on the provided information, it can be calculated that the percentage increase in Vietnam's green tea export volume to Taiwan from 2023 to 2024 was 2 percent.
After experiencing 8 consecutive years of growth, Japan's market share in Taiwan's green tea imports has declined, now accounting for only 18.7 percent of the total. Japan is the main competitor in this segment.
According to general data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2024, Vietnamese black tea was exported to many markets around the world. Vietnam's market share is led by Pakistan which is the market that imports the largest amount of tea from Vietnam. Taiwan (China) is second and China is third.
In the 11 months of 2024, Vietnam exported a total of 132,985 tons of tea of all kinds, worth US$234.69 million, up 25.4 percent in volume and 26.9 percent in value compared to the same period in 2023.
Vietnam currently processes around 15 different tea varieties, but black and green tea remain the two primary products, accounting for the largest share of exports. However, the average export price of Vietnamese tea is estimated to be only 65 percent of the average price commanded by leading tea-exporting nations.
The material area of black tea in Vietnam is concentrated in the northern mountainous provinces, notably Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, and Yen Bai. These provinces possess the necessary climatic and soil attributes that contribute to the production of premium black tea.
