Tea · importers
France reports $4.0B in the chapter that holds tea, coffee, mate and spices, third in the world, and it is a market that values refined and flavoured teas.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Canada | $2.4B |
| 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.
Only Germany ($6.5B) and the United States ($11.7B) report more. Italy, at $3.4B, is the nearest challenger. France’s 5.9% share of world imports is thus secure. The chapter is 0.5% of its $762.0B imports and ranks 40th among import chapters, and coffee probably makes up most of the value.
French tea houses and gourmet retailers have made a name for blended, scented and flavoured teas, and premium packaging and presentation are part of the appeal. A buyer of this kind wants base teas of a dependable standard to which it adds its own flavourings, and also single-estate teas for connoisseurs. Bulk black tea for supermarkets follows a different, price-led logic.
Ask the importer where it sits between those poles before you send samples. Some buyers also value seasonal, first-flush or limited teas, which they market to customers as special editions, so ask whether the buyer is looking for one-off high-grade lots of that kind in addition to steady supply.
Residue limits and labelling rules for tea are set by the authorities and change over time, so confirm the current position with them and with your buyer. Organic and origin claims need documents that can be verified. Germany, China, Belgium and the USA lead France’s overall source list, which covers all goods.
Customs shipment records filtered to the tea heading show the receiver, weight and declared value of each cargo, apart from coffee and spices in the same chapter.
Germany, China, Belgium and the USA head the list of France’s overall sources, which spans all goods. The tea heading in shipment data is where receivers and weights show up, and this site’s free marketplace helps you contact them once terms are settled.
The whole coffee, tea, mate and spices chapter, at 5.9% of reported world imports.
Base teas for flavouring, single-estate teas for specialists, and bulk teas for supermarkets.
Send samples suited to its style and be ready to document origin and residue results.
Filter shipment records to the tea heading and rank consignees by cargo weight.
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