Tea · importers
South Korea reports $1.4B in the chapter that holds tea, coffee, mate and spices, fourteenth in the world, and its cafe scene is at least as important as traditional teas.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Canada | $2.4B |
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.
Korean cafes sell both coffee and tea drinks, and coffee probably makes up the greater part of the $1.4B, which is 2.0% of reported world imports. The chapter is 0.2% of the country’s $631.7B imports and ranks 45th among its import chapters. Tea is a smaller strand inside it.
Korea has its own traditions of grain, herbal and leaf teas, alongside imported black tea, green tea and fruit infusions used in cafe drinks and bottled beverages. Importers may supply cafe chains, beverage makers and retail. Cafe chains standardise menus and want consistent flavour, while retail buyers look at pack and price.
Ask what the importer supplies and whether it needs an ingredient or a finished packed tea. Korean cafe chains also refresh menus with seasonal drinks, so buyers may value a supplier that can offer limited seasonal items as well as its standard range. Ask the importer, too, how it handles sample approval, since cafe chains often run internal taste panels before adding an item, and a slow approval process can add weeks before a first order.
Import, quarantine and labelling requirements for agricultural goods are set by the authorities and can change, so confirm them with the authorities and the buyer before shipping. China, the USA, Japan and Saudi Arabia lead the overall source list, which covers all goods and does not show tea origins.
Shipment data for the tea heading isolates tea from coffee and spices and lists receivers with cargo weights.
Tea shipment records show each receiver and weight. Shortlist regular importers, agree Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and start contact via this site’s free marketplace.
Probably not; coffee is likely to be the larger part of a chapter that also holds mate and spices.
Cafe chains, beverage makers and retail packers.
Consistent flavour that fits a standard menu.
Review the tea heading in shipment data and rank importers by weight.
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