Morocco remains top market for Chinese tea amid export growth

Morocco was the largest importer of Chinese tea in February, accounting for 15 percent of total sales, according to latest data from China’s customs authorities.

Japan and the United States followed, while Mauritania and Ivory Coast each held a 7 percent share of China’s tea exports during the same period.

Germany accounted for 5 percent of imports, while Russia purchased just over 3 percent of total exports. Russian imports rose by around 40 percent to reach $3.5 million, marking a monthly increase of about 7 percent.

China’s tea exports recorded notable growth in 2025, reaching approximately 419,000 tonnes, supported by increased production across major provinces including Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan.

Zhejiang ranked first in export volume with more than 185,000 tonnes valued at $560 million. Anhui followed with 74,000 tonnes worth $280 million, while Hunan placed third with 56,000 tonnes valued at $160 million.

According to Chinese customs data released in December, total tea exports reached $1.55 billion last year, up 8.9 percent year on year, while export volumes increased by 11.9 percent.

Morocco also ranked as the top buyer of Chinese tea over the full year, followed by Senegal, Malaysia, Mauritania, Ghana, Ivory Coast, the United States, Japan, Uzbekistan and Algeria. These markets combined accounted for 60.5 percent of total export value.

Exports to Morocco reached $280 million between January and December 2025, reflecting a 14.7 percent annual increase. December alone accounted for approximately $10 million.

Separately, China imported tea worth $1.8 billion last year, up 17.2 percent, with volumes exceeding 6,000 tonnes. Imports were mainly sourced from Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Kenya, Taiwan, Thailand, Poland, Burundi, Uganda and Myanmar, which together represented 92.6 percent of total import value.