Peruvian Tea Marks Itself in Global Tea Trade Market

Peru

Market & Price Trends

Published Apr 27, 2022

Peru’s tea industry has not been very popular in the global market, and the country produces a very small share in the global tea market. However, the country has started to mark its position in the global tea trade, with the volume of tea exports increasing dramatically since 2019. The country managed to enter large markets in Europe like France and Switzerland, where the variety has started to gain a lot of popularity. While Peru has managed to increase its exports, it continues to remain niche in many markets across the world, and there is still a long way to go to establish itself as the leading producer of tea in the world.

Peru is known worldwide for its flavourful coffee, but little attention is given to its traditional tea industry, which is currently booming.The Pervian tea industry started flourishing in 1913 when the first variety of new seeds were brought from Yokoyama-Japan. The farmers started planting these seeds in the Huyro (La Convencion) as an alternative to coffee, cocoa, and cane crops, which had started losing their high price points in the country. Currently, Peru produces a very small amount of tea in comparison to global giants like China and India, yet the quality and variety of tea have started to gain popularity. The country has also started exporting small amounts of tea to niche consumers in Europe, who relish the flavor of Peruvian tea.

Peru could considered to be somewhat of a latecomer to the global tea trade market; prior to 2019, Peru was barely recognized as an exporter of tea. The country started exporting tea to large markets in Europe, the U.S. and Canada only after 2019, which the volume of exports has picked up. The country recently decided to enter the European market through the main door by exporting tea to France and Switzerland. After a year and a half of commercial promotion by the office of the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism in France, the first batch of green tea and black tea were exported to Paris in March 2022. The Peruvian blend remains a niche variety in the country, but the variety is gaining popularity across cafes and restaurants. According to Agraria, Peruvian exporters are creating a demand for Peruvian tea in the gourmet segment in the markets of France and Switzerland.

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This can be considered the first big step towards making Peru tea international, especially with he industry working towards placing Peruvian origin tea on the world market. The climatic conditions of the country are highly suitable for producing high quality tea for exports to large markets. If the country continues to invest in growing tea, it is likely that the volume of exports will increase even more in coming years. While Sri Lanka is struggling to make ends meet amidst the on-going economic crisis, Peru has a chance to secure its market share and make the traditional variety popular across the world.