Pakistan continued to represent the largest importer of Vietnamese tea, with turnover reaching US$62.3 million, up 11.3% against the same period from last year.
China spent nearly US$13.2 million on purchasing Vietnamese tea, thereby doubling the figure from the same period last year, while tea exports to the United States also increased sharply to reach nearly US$8 million.
The average tea export prices in the Pakistani market stood at above US$2,000 per tonne, while the price in other markets fluctuated between US$1,600 and US$1,800 per tonne.
Most notably, in the Chinese market, despite the purchasing output witnessing a three-fold rise, the average tea price stood at only US$1,458 per tonne, down nearly 40%.
Insiders pointed out that this year will see positive signs ahead for tea exports, with several markets increasing their purchases from 50% to 230%.
Tea exports in the remaining months of the year are anticipated to hit a record figure, duly surpassing the US$229 million mark seen back in 2011.
Despite a wealth of opportunities for expanding markets, the tea industry is required to focus on product quality, diversify products, promote organic tea production, and apply modern production procedures. Last year, Vietnam fetched about US$157 million from exporting approximately 85,000 tonnes of tea, thereby making the nation the world's fifth largest tea exporter.
