Tea · guide
Tea looks easy to ship because it is dry and light, but buyers judge it on taste, freshness and paperwork that proves what is in the bag. This guide walks through the sequence a new exporter follows, from code to container.
| Market | Imports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B | 2024 |
| Germany | $6.5B | 2024 |
| France | $4.0B | 2024 |
| Italy | $3.4B | 2024 |
| Canada | $2.4B | 2024 |
| Spain | $2.2B | 2024 |
| Market | Exports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | $11.8B | 2024 |
| India | $5.2B | 2024 |
| Vietnam | $4.7B | 2023 |
| Germany | $4.5B | 2024 |
| Switzerland | $3.9B | 2024 |
| China | $3.6B | 2024 |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices). Source: UN Comtrade.
Before any buyer conversation, fix the product definition, because every later step depends on it. Tea is not one product. Green tea is not fermented, black tea is fermented or partly fermented, and each style has its own grades, leaf sizes and end uses. A blender buying bulk leaf for tea bags wants something very different from a retailer who wants a gift caddy.
Write a one-page product sheet for yourself: the style, the grade or leaf size, the growing region and season of the lot, the moisture level you can support with lab evidence, and the pack formats you can supply. Buyers ask for these details in the first message, and vague answers end the conversation. If you sell more than one style, treat each as its own product with its own sheet.
Tea sits in heading 0902, inside chapter 09, which the statistics call coffee, tea, mate and spices. The classification splits on two questions: is the tea green or black, and is the immediate pack above or below 3kg. That gives four subheadings you can cite: 090210 and 090220 for green tea, 090230 and 090240 for black and partly fermented tea.
The pack size rule catches many first-time sellers. A retail box of tea bags and a bulk sack of the same leaf fall under different subheadings, even though the tea inside is identical. Decide the pack format first, then read the code. Your national tariff will add further digits beyond six, and duty can differ at that level, so confirm the full code with your customs broker before you print it on an invoice.
Most exporting countries require a business registration, a tax identity, an importer-exporter style code and a bank account able to handle foreign currency. Many also expect tea exporters to be listed with the sector’s promotion or regulatory body. The names and rules differ by country and change over time, so confirm the current list with your customs office and export promotion agency rather than copying a checklist from a forum.
Tea also touches food law. Packing premises, blending facilities and warehouses may need food-safety registration, and buyers frequently ask for a recognised food-safety or quality management certificate before placing a first order. Start these applications early, because they take longer than the sales conversation does.
Chapter 09 imports are concentrated. In the latest reported year the United States imported $11.7B of the chapter, Germany $6.5B, France $4.0B, Italy $3.4B, Canada $2.4B and Spain $2.2B. Remember these figures cover coffee, tea, mate and spices together, so they show where the chapter is bought, not tea alone. Use them to shortlist markets, then narrow to tea using the 0902 code in shipment records.
Customs shipment records name the consignee, the quantity, the declared value and the code. Filter to 0902, pick a market, and you get a list of companies that already import tea, how often they ship, and which origins they buy from. That is a far better prospect list than a generic directory. Read it for the buyers who take small and mid-size lots, not only the giants, and cross-check names in the free marketplace on this site, where buyers post requirements directly.
Tea is hygroscopic: it absorbs moisture and odours. A lot that tested fine at the factory can arrive musty if the packaging lets humidity in or if it sat beside anything aromatic in the container. Ask your packer about multi-layer sacks or foil-lined bags, and keep tea away from spices, fuel or chemicals in the same warehouse or box.
Establish a sample routine. Send a representative sample with a cupping description, keep a sealed duplicate of exactly what you sent, and ship goods that match it. Disputes on tea are usually about the gap between the sample and the shipment. Buyers may also test for residues and contaminants against the standards of their own market, so ask early which limits apply and whether they need a laboratory report from an accredited lab.
Build your quote from the ground up: cost of the tea, blending or sorting, packing materials, inland haulage, port charges, freight and insurance where relevant. Then choose the Incoterm that matches how much of the journey you want to control. FOB keeps you out of ocean freight risk, while CIF or CFR asks you to book the vessel and price the freight, which needs a reliable forwarder quote valid on the day you send the offer.
For a first order with an unknown buyer, prefer terms that protect you: an irrevocable letter of credit, or advance payment for at least part of the value. Open account suits established relationships only. State the currency clearly, and say who bears bank charges on each side. These details prevent the arguments that sour a first deal.
A standard tea shipment needs a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, and a certificate of origin where the buyer or the tariff regime asks for it. Buyers of tea often also request a plant-health certificate and a quality or analysis certificate. These are usually required, but the exact set depends on the destination, so confirm it with the buyer and the destination customs authority before loading.
Book container space early in busy seasons and ask the forwarder about moisture control, such as liner sheets or desiccants, for long transits. Photograph the stuffing, record seal numbers, and keep the draft documents checked against the letter of credit line by line. A single mismatched spelling can delay payment.
Send the document set promptly, track the vessel and warn the buyer of any delay. When the goods land, ask for feedback on cup quality and pack condition, and record it against the lot number. Repeat orders in tea come from consistency, so a buyer who sees the same character in the second shipment as in the sample tends to reorder.
Keep your own records of each shipment by code, market and value. They help with tax and duty-refund claims where your country offers them, and they let you compare your own pattern against the broader flows visible in trade statistics. India, for instance, ranks 2 of 96 exporters of chapter 09 at $5.2B, a reminder of how competitive the field is and why consistency matters.
Tea falls under heading 0902. Use 090210 or 090220 for green tea and 090230 or 090240 for black and partly fermented tea, depending on whether the immediate pack is up to 3kg or above. Confirm the longer national code with your broker.
No. The country figures here cover the whole of chapter 09, which includes coffee, tea, mate and spices. Use them to shortlist markets, then filter shipment records by the tea code for company-level detail.
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and often a certificate of origin, a plant-health certificate and a quality or analysis report. Requirements vary by destination, so confirm the current list with the buyer and customs before shipping.
Filter customs shipment records by the tea heading in a target market to see named consignees, quantities and origins. Then approach the ones whose volumes match yours, and check the free marketplace for posted buying requirements.
Use moisture-resistant packaging, keep tea away from strong-smelling cargo, and ask your forwarder about liners or desiccants for long voyages. Ship lots that match the sample you approved, since condition and consistency drive repeat orders.
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