China's tea exports fell 7.5% in 2014 compared with the same period last year.

A few days ago, the Tea Branch of the China Food, Native and Livestock Import and Export Chamber of Commerce released China's tea export data for 2014. According to Chinese customs statistics, in 2014, China's tea exports totaled 301000 tons, down 7.5 percent from the same period last year, while exports totaled US $1.27 billion, up 2.1 percent from the same period last year.

Data show that tea exports have declined across the board this year. In 2014, green tea exports totaled 249000 tons, down 5.8 per cent from the same period last year. Green tea exports still play a supporting role in tea trade, accounting for more than 80 per cent of total exports; black tea exports 28000 tons, down 15.6 per cent year-on-year; oolong tea exports 15000 tons, down 9.7 per cent; scented tea exports 5782 tons, down 15.7 per cent; Pu'er tea exports 3385 tons, down 25 per cent from the same period last year.

To this end, the China Economic Network reporter interviewed Cai Jun, secretary-general of the Tea Branch of the China Food, Native and Animal Import and Export Chamber of Commerce. Cai Jun said that the total tea exports fell so much last year, hitting a multi-year low, including many people in the industry also expressed surprise.

Cai Jun believes that the main reasons for the decline in tea exports are as follows: first, the price of tea exports has risen sharply due to the increase in production costs in recent years, which suppresses demand in overseas markets and leads to a decline in trade volume; second, the disease epidemic and political instability in some African countries have affected tea trade, with exports to Africa falling by 4.2%. Third, the EU, Japan and other tea pesticide residue testing standards are stringent, testing methods are changeable. In 2014, my tea exports to Europe and Japan were notified 33 times due to excessive agricultural residue testing, including 30 in the European Union and 2 in Japan; fourth, the complex economic situation in Russia, coupled with Western sanctions that significantly devalued the rouble and depressed tea consumption; fifth, some countries, such as Uzbekistan, tea trade cycle is long, slow payment, business risks, reduced enthusiasm of enterprises, resulting in shrinking tea exports.

However, Cai Jun said that as long as the government, industry and enterprises work together to interact with each other and speed up the pace of industrial transformation and upgrading, China's tea exports will be able to overcome their difficulties and gain new advantages in development. The Tea Branch of the China Food, Native and Livestock Import and Export Chamber of Commerce is an important link in China's tea export. in the face of the predicament of China's tea export, the Chamber of Commerce will make greater efforts to win the opportunity of tea export growth.