West Asian markets rescue India tea exports
Iran and Iraq emerged as key drivers of India’s tea exports during the first eight months of this calendar year, off-setting a decline in shipments to major markets like Russia.
Iraq was the top buyer of Indian tea, at 35.94 million kg between January and August this year, up from 30.99 million kg in the same period last year.Export to Iran rose to 6.39 million kg, against 6.30 million kg last year. However, exporters point out that teas bound for Iran were mostly routed through Dubai, one of the largest trading hubs.
Numbers show that exports to the United Arb Emirates (UAE) during January-August 2025 soared to 31.23 million kg, against 28.22 million kg in the same period last year.
Tea exports to Russia — traditionally a key market for Indian teas — dropped to 20.84 million kg in the first eight months of this year from 26.92 million kg in the year-ago period.
Source: Business Standard (Extracts), Courtesy: Tea Exporters’ Association Sri Lanka