Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) cited data from General Department of Customs as saying that it is estimated that in the fourth quarter of 2023, Vietnam's tea exports reached 39,300 tons, worth 70 million USD, an increase of 16,000 tons or 7% in volume and an increase of 18.1% in value compared to the third quarter of 2023, a decrease of 22.1% in volume but an increase of 1.4% in value compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
An average export price of tea in the fourth quarter of 2023 reached 1,778.9 USD/ton, up 1.2% compared to the third quarter of 2023 and up 30.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022.
Overall, in 2023, tea exports are estimated to reach 121,000 tons, worth 211 million USD, down 16.9% in volume and 10.9% in value compared to 2022. An average export price of tea in the year 2023 is estimated to reach 1,737.3 USD/ton, an increase of 7.3% compared to 2022. Thus, 2023 is the year with the lowest export output in past 7 years.
Key factors causing Vietnam's tea exports to decline significantly in 2023 are weak market demand and increasingly strict import regulations in main tea export markets.
In addition, Vietnam's current export tea is mainly in raw form with low processing content. Most exported tea products tend to decrease in the first 11 months of 2023, the leading in volume and value is green tea reaching 52,600 tons, worth 104 million USD, down 6.9% in volume and 1% in value compared to the same period in 2022; the next is black tea with 42,200 tons, worth 57.2 million USD, down 16.1% in volume and 18.4% in value; flower-marinated tea reached 3,500 tons, worth 7.3 million USD, down 4.7% in volume but up 6.7% in value.
Notably, oolong tea exports reached 1,100 tons, worth 3.5 million USD, up 101.8% in volume and 106.5% in value over the same period in 2022.
Most of tea import value in major tea markets around the world from Vietnam accounts for a low proportion. Therefore, even though market demand is weak, Vietnam's tea industry still has opportunity to expand its market share.
However, to promote exports to major markets in the world, the Import-Export Department recommends that Vietnamese tea industry must promote tea production in a safe direction; Encourage tea production enterprises to apply high technology, biology and organic agricultural production; Support tea growers to link production with product processing and consumption; Support businesses in promoting trade and finding markets for tea products; Diversify products, focusing on rapidly increasing proportion of high-value products and new products.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn