Turkish tea exports exceed $17.5 mln in first half

TRABZON

Türkiye’s tea exports surpassed $17.5 million in the first half of the year, shipping thousands of tons of tea to more than 100 countries and territories, according to exporter data.

From Jan. 1 through June 30, the country exported 2,602 tons of tea, generating $17.5 million in revenue, according to data compiled from the Eastern Black Sea Exporters Association (DKİB).

Belgium, the U.K. and Turkish Cyprus emerged as the top three buyers of Turkish tea, importing $5.4 million, $3.5 million and $1.2 million worth, respectively.

Rize, a prominent agricultural province in northern Türkiye known for its dramatic mountain tea plantations, drove the bulk of the trade. The province alone exported 1,575 tons of tea to 20 countries, accounting for 44 percent of Türkiye’s total tea export revenue, at $7.7 million.

“We continued our exports to different geographies in the first six months of the year,” said Mustafa Okutan, a board member of the exporters association and head of its tea sector committee. “While maintaining our strong position in traditional markets, we prioritize finding a larger place for Turkish tea in new markets.”

Okutan noted that interest in Turkish tea remains robust in European countries and the Far East. In addition to growing its market share in Belgium and the U.K., the industry is targeting new customer bases in North America and the Gulf countries.

Turkish tea is often marketed globally as the only tea in the world on which snow falls, a natural environmental occurrence that growers say protects the leaves from pests and diseases without requiring chemical pesticides.