Growing tea culture boosts trade with China

Annual tea imports hit over $600m as Pakistan explores ways to strengthen trade ties

BEIJING:

"Tea is an embedded part of our culture, joy, and conversations. One cannot take tea away from a Pakistani's life," said Sadia Khatri, a writer from Karachi. "Any time is a good time for tea."

This sentiment reflects the deep-rooted tea culture in Pakistan, which has made the country the world's largest tea importer.

Last year alone, Pakistan imported over $600 million (approximately RMB 4.033 billion) worth of tea.

China's tea exports to Pakistan totalled $5.76 million during 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

"I'm here to explore and find the right tea varieties," said Pakistani trader Abdul Haq at the 17th Beijing International Tea Exhibition. "China is the birthplace of tea, and Pakistan has a deep-rooted tea-drinking culture.

Pakistanis love Chinese green tea, black tea, and oolong tea, with high-quality varieties being highly sought after in our market.

The tea trade between us is not just commerce, but a reflection of our cultural and emotional connection. In other words, the aroma of tea merges us together."

Haq further added, "In my country, black tea is the most popular, usually brewed with milk, spices, lemon slices, and even chopped nuts. Interestingly, young people in China are also crazy about milk tea, which I think shows how our cultures are blending and thriving together."

Manzoor Ali, Counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in China, also expressed optimism for future Pak-China cooperation in the tea industry. "With a population of over 200 million, Pakistan is a major consumer of tea," he noted. "Our embassy has signed an MOU with the International Business Advisory Council of the China International Engineering Consulting Association (CAIEC).

Through collaboration with Chinese tea companies, we aim to not only meet domestic market demand but also extend our reach to neighbouring Islamic countries and even European nations."

He Qingyuan, a senior official at the Tea Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, highlighted further opportunities for collaboration.

"Broken tea from China and Pakistan can be blended to create new products for the international market, achieving a win-win situation for both industries," Qingyuan stated. In Pakistan, the demand for broken black tea remains high, particularly for use in teabags.

"Broken black tea is relatively inexpensive in China, and Yunnan is seeking ways to boost its exports. Industrial transfer or guidance from Yunnan to Pakistan could be a very effective way to enhance Pak-China tea cooperation," Qingyuan added.