Tea · importers
Italy reports $3.4B in the chapter that holds tea, coffee, mate and spices, fourth in the world, but it is a coffee country first and a tea country second.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| 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.
Italy’s espresso tradition makes coffee the likely bulk of the $3.4B, which is 5.0% of reported world imports. Tea is a growing but smaller category, so a tea seller should treat the headline as an upper bound, not as a tea market size. The chapter is 0.5% of its $621.6B imports and ranks 31st among its import chapters.
Only the United States, Germany and France report more.
Where tea is a secondary drink, importers often focus on quality and on categories that are growing: iced tea, green tea, herbal infusions and premium loose-leaf for specialist shops and cafes. Volume is smaller than in traditional tea countries, so lots may be smaller and buyers more selective.
Ask an importer which categories it is trying to grow, and offer samples in those. Tell the buyer clearly how your tea is packed and how long it keeps, since small importers with slow-moving stock worry about freshness and about being left with unsold lots.
Residue limits and labelling requirements are set by the authorities and change over time, so confirm the present position with them and with the buyer. Germany, China, France and the Netherlands lead Italy’s overall source list, which covers all goods and suggests that some tea reaches Italian buyers through northern European packers.
Shipment records for the tea heading name each receiver and cargo weight, separately from the coffee and spice lines in the chapter.
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No. It covers coffee, tea, mate and spices, and coffee is likely to be most of it.
In iced tea, green tea, herbal infusions and premium loose-leaf.
Usually smaller volumes than in traditional tea countries, so lots may be modest.
Use shipment records for the tea heading and rank consignees by cargo weight.
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