China’s traditional tea sector must overcome stiff competition and price barriers to expand exports

Tea has a history of near 5,000 years of consumption in China, dating back to 2,737 BC with near-mythical origins. It is entwined deeply into the country's culture and history, with the understanding and practice of traditional Chinese tea preparation considered an art in its own. Today, although traditional tea preparation is still often practiced in many Chinese communities, tea consumption for the masses has largely been simplified to the soaking of teabags in hot water – and even this is no longer considered convenient enough by many younger consumers. In order to ensure tea continues to appeal to all demographics as well as to gain a stronger foothold in the global tea industry, several China tea brands believe that the way forward is to develop more convenient and relatable bottled formats for traditional Chinese teas. “The practice of bottling traditional teas is not a completely new one – it is very popular in Japanese teas like green tea and matcha, and this has done very ...