Sri Lanka’s tea industry witnessed a positive development in February 2024, with exports reaching 22.31 million kilograms (M/Kgs). This represents a significant increase of 3.76 M/Kgs compared to February 2023’s 18.55 M/Kgs.
The growth is particularly encouraging as most tea categories, except for Tea Packets and Green Tea, showed improvement year-on-year. This indicates a strong demand for Sri Lanka’s diverse range of black teas, which are renowned under the brand name “Ceylon Tea.”
However, a slight decline was observed in the Free on Board (FOB) value per kilogram. In February 2024, the FOB value settled at Rs. 1,789.43, a decrease of Rs. 250.82 compared to Rs. 2,040.25 in February 2023.
Despite this dip in FOB value, there’s positive news on the export front. Iraq emerged as the top importer of Ceylon Tea in February 2024, with a total import of 5.30 M/Kgs. This marks a 14% year-on-year increase compared to the 4.66 M/Kgs imported during the same period in 2023. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia followed closely behind, securing the second and third positions as major importers, respectively. Notably, Türkiye’s imports saw a significant decline of 38% compared to the previous year.
Other notable importers include Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, Azerbaijan, and Chile. This continued global demand for Ceylon Tea reflects its enduring reputation for quality and diverse flavors.