Tea · importers
Canada reports $2.4B in the chapter that holds tea, coffee, mate and spices, fifth in the world, and it is a country with a solid tea-drinking tradition.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Spain | $2.2B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices); tea is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Canada holds 3.5% of reported world imports of the chapter. Spain, at $2.2B, is the nearest market behind it, while Italy, at $3.4B, is next above. The chapter is 0.4% of its $560.0B imports and ranks 44th among import chapters, and coffee will account for much of the value.
Canada drinks a good deal of black tea, and packers blend and pack it for grocery chains. A separate specialty trade serves tea shops, cafes and online sellers with speciality leaf, herbal and flavoured lines. Communities with strong tea customs add demand for particular styles.
Ask which channel a prospect serves, and whether it needs bilingual packaging for retail lots. Winter storage and handling can add risk for goods in transit, so ask whether the importer holds stock near the coast or ships onward to inland warehouses soon after arrival, and plan packing to suit. Ask also whether the importer buys herbal and fruit infusions, which often sell alongside tea and can raise the value of a first order for a supplier able to cover several categories reliably.
The USA, China, Mexico and Germany lead Canada’s overall source list, which spans all goods and does not show tea origins. Some tea may reach Canadian packers via US distributors, so ask whether the buyer imports directly. Residue limits and import documents are set by the authorities and can change, so confirm them.
Shipment data for the tea heading separates tea from coffee and spices and lists receivers with weights.
Shipment records for tea show each receiver’s name and cargo weight. Choose a shortlist, agree Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and start conversations through this site’s free marketplace.
The whole coffee, tea, mate and spices chapter, 3.5% of reported world imports.
Grocery-chain packers and blenders, plus specialty shops and online sellers.
For retail packs it usually is, so ask each buyer.
Look at the tea lines of customs shipment data and rank importers by weight.
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