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Processed food

Export tea

Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and CTC tea. You need a Tea Board exporter licence; residues and GI rules matter.

Free to exportHS 0902
HS code
0902
Tea, whether or not flavoured. Black tea in bulk is 0902.40; in packets of 3 kg or less, 0902.30; green tea, 0902.10 and 0902.20.
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS). Exporters must hold an exporter licence from the Tea Board under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005; since 2021 it is valid for 5 years and renewed online.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 899 mn
to 125 countries

What is exported

India exported 271.93 million kg of tea worth ₹8,349 crore in 2025-26 (Tea Board, final). North India (Assam, Darjeeling, Dooars) supplied about two-thirds. Tea Board’s last published country table (2020-21) shows Russia and other CIS countries, Iran, the UAE, the USA, the UK, Germany and China as the main buyers. Exports fell about 12% in April–August 2026 compared with a year earlier.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Assam CTC and orthodoxStrong, malty black tea; CTC for tea bags and milk tea, orthodox leaf for premium blends.
  • Darjeeling (first and second flush)GI tea from 87 estates; sold by flush and garden name.
  • NilgiriBright, brisk South Indian tea, often used in blends and iced tea.
  • Green tea and speciality teasSmaller volumes; separate HS lines 0902 10 and 0902 20.

Where it is grown or made

  • AssamDibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur; Guwahati tea auction.
  • West BengalDarjeeling hills (GI area), Dooars and Terai; Kolkata is the main auction centre.
  • Tamil NaduNilgiris (Coonoor auction), Valparai.
  • KeralaMunnar (Idukki), Wayanad; Kochi auction.

Season

North India plucks roughly March to November (Darjeeling first flush in spring is the premium lot); South India plucks all year.

Export packing

  • Bulk tea in multi-wall paper sacks (commonly 20–60 kg) with foil or poly liner.
  • Packet tea (3 kg or less) and tea bags in branded cartons.
  • Darjeeling tea needs a Tea Board certificate of origin for each export.

Who buys abroad

  • Tea blenders and packers in the UK, Germany and the USA
  • Importers in Russia, CIS countries, Iran and the UAE
  • Speciality and online tea retailers (Darjeeling, orthodox)

The quality buyers ask for

Manufacture
CTC, orthodox, green; also white and oolong in small volumes
Grades (orthodox)
Leaf grades such as FTGFOP, TGFOP, FOP and OP; broken grades such as BOP and BOPF; fannings and dust
Grades (CTC)
BP, BOP, BOPSM, PF, PD and dust grades, sold by auction catalogue
Standard
ISO 3720 (black tea specification) is used in contracts; FSSAI sets the tea standard in India, with no added colour
Residues and contaminants
Pesticide residues and anthraquinone within destination limits; the EU and Japan are the strictest
Quality
Judged by tasters on liquor colour, strength, briskness and leaf appearance; buyers approve pre-shipment samples

Certificates

  • Tea Board exporter licenceRequiredLicence under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005, valid five years and renewed online.
  • FSSAI licenceRequiredCentral licence from FSSAI for the premises where the food is packed or stored for export. Apply on FoSCoS.
  • Darjeeling certification licenceOften askedOnly licensed exporters may sell tea as “Darjeeling”, with Tea Board certification of origin for each lot.
  • Rainforest Alliance / FairtradeOften askedSustainability labels many UK and EU packers ask for.
  • ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000Often askedFood-safety management system certification. FSSC 22000 is recognised by GFSI, which large retailers and brand owners look for.
  • Organic (NPOP / NOP / EU)Often askedNeeded only if you sell the product as organic: NPOP certification by an accredited body, plus the buyer market’s own organic rules.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Tea is light: a 20-ft container takes roughly 9–12 tonnes of CTC in multi-wall paper sacks, less of leafy orthodox grades.

How it travels

Sea freight from Kolkata/Haldia, Kochi and Tuticorin; small specialty lots by air.

Storage

Dry, odour-free store; tea absorbs smells and moisture quickly. Keep foil-lined sacks sealed.

Shelf life

Black tea typically about two years when sealed; green and specialty teas are best within a year.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Bulk bags and cartons: product and grade, crop year, lot number, net and gross weight, “Product of India”, exporter name and the buyer’s shipping marks, matching the invoice and packing list exactly.
  • Darjeeling tea must carry the Darjeeling logo and certification details only if the lot is certified; blends must not imply pure Darjeeling.
  • EU retail packs (Regulation 1169/2011): name of the food, ingredients with allergens highlighted, net quantity, best-before date, storage conditions, the EU importer’s name and address, and origin where required — in the language of the country of sale.
  • USA (21 CFR 101): product name, net quantity in both US and metric units, ingredients, allergens, name and place of business of the packer or distributor, Nutrition Facts unless exempt; and “Product of India” marking (19 CFR 134).
  • Gulf countries: Arabic text (Arabic plus English is normal), production and expiry dates, net weight, country of origin and the importer’s details. Confirm the current rules with your importer.
Where to get it tested

Pesticide-residue testing for tea is offered by the Tea Research Association (Tocklai, Jorhat) and the UPASI Tea Research Foundation in the south, and by NABL-accredited private labs (search nabl-india.org for tea residues). Ask your buyer which lab they accept.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • Tea Board IndiaTea exporter licence (with RCMC) under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005. Apply on the Tea Board online portal.onlineapps.teaboard.gov.in ↗
  • FSSAIFood business licence. FSSAI rules put food exporters under the Central licence; apply on FoSCoS and keep it valid for the premises you pack from.foscos.fssai.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Pesticide residues: the EU and Japan have tight MRLs; buyers usually test each lot.
  • Darjeeling is a protected GI: tea sold as Darjeeling needs Tea Board certification of origin, and logo use for Assam, Nilgiri and others needs Tea Board permission.
  • Moisture, foreign matter and heavy metals as per buyer specification and FSSAI standards.
How to start small

Buy graded tea at the Kolkata, Guwahati or Coonoor e-auction (or through a broker), get your Tea Board exporter licence, and ship packaged tea by air or courier to small importers in the UAE, UK or USA. Bulk tea to Russia and Iran is a large-buyer business best entered later.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Labelling a blend as "Darjeeling" without certified origin — this breaches the GI and buyers’ customs can seize it.
  • Payment delays from some CIS and Iran buyers; use LC or secure the receivable with ECGC cover.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (4)
  1. Tea Board — Region-wise tea exports 2026 (Jan–Aug) and 2025-26 final
  2. Tea Board — Major country-wise exports 2020-21
  3. Tea Board — Circular on TDECO 2005 amendments (exporter licence validity 5 years), 7 Aug 2021
  4. Tea Board — Control orders

Trade data

Indian tea exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 899 mn
+5.1% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +8%
US$ 832 mn → US$ 899 mn
Buyer countries
125
Average export price
US$ 3.40
per kg · 2,64,558 tonnes shipped · US$ 3.39 the year before
United Arab Emirates: US$ 185 mnIraq: US$ 105 mnRussia: US$ 65.4 mnUnited States of America: US$ 53.4 mnIran: US$ 52.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 50.4 mnChina: US$ 48.8 mnGermany: US$ 41.9 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 27.4 mnTürkiye: US$ 27.3 mnCanada: US$ 19.8 mnJapan: US$ 17.9 mnAustralia: US$ 16.4 mnNetherlands: US$ 14.9 mnPoland: US$ 12.6 mnItaly: US$ 12.2 mnKazakhstan: US$ 10.8 mnGhana: US$ 9.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 8.3 mnQatar: US$ 7.1 mnTogo: US$ 6.9 mnMalaysia: US$ 6.6 mnIreland: US$ 5.6 mnTaiwan: US$ 5.4 mnSenegal: US$ 5.2 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 185 mnUnited Arab EmiratesIraq: US$ 105 mnIraqRussia: US$ 65.4 mnRussiaUnited States of America: US$ 53.4 mnUnited States of AmericaIran: US$ 52.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 50.4 mnUnited KingdomChina: US$ 48.8 mnChinaGermany: US$ 41.9 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 27.4 mnTürkiye: US$ 27.3 mnCanada: US$ 19.8 mnJapan: US$ 17.9 mnAustralia: US$ 16.4 mnNetherlands: US$ 14.9 mnPoland: US$ 12.6 mnItaly: US$ 12.2 mnKazakhstan: US$ 10.8 mnGhana: US$ 9.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 8.3 mnQatar: US$ 7.1 mnTogo: US$ 6.9 mnMalaysia: US$ 6.6 mnIreland: US$ 5.6 mnTaiwan: US$ 5.4 mnSenegal: US$ 5.2 mnIndia
Where Indian tea goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 700 mn7002020-212021-22: US$ 685 mn6852021-222022-23: US$ 740 mn7402022-232023-24: US$ 743 mn7432023-242024-25: US$ 832 mn8322024-252025-26: US$ 899 mn8992025-26
India’s tea exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2021-22, lowest in 2022-23 — a 7% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 3.41 per kg2021-22: US$ 3.43 per kg3.432022-23: US$ 3.22 per kg3.222024-25: US$ 3.39 per kg2025-26: US$ 3.40 per kg3.402020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian tea · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 700 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 685 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 740 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 743 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 832 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 899 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 917 mn (US$ 866 mn – US$ 970 mn)9172026-272027-28: US$ 966 mn (US$ 907 mn – US$ 1.03 bn)9662027-28
India’s tea exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 966 mn

Likely range US$ 907 mn to US$ 1.03 bn.

Trend
+5.4% a year
Fit (R²)
0.88
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United Arab EmiratesUS$ 185 mn+18.8%
2IraqUS$ 105 mn+11.7%
3RussiaUS$ 65.4 mn-7.6%
4United States of AmericaUS$ 53.4 mn-20.9%
5IranUS$ 52.2 mn+37.8%
6United KingdomUS$ 50.4 mn-8.9%
7ChinaUS$ 48.8 mn+41.1%
8GermanyUS$ 41.9 mn+9.3%
9Saudi ArabiaUS$ 27.4 mn-6.6%
10TürkiyeUS$ 27.3 mn+86%
11CanadaUS$ 19.8 mn+22.2%
12JapanUS$ 17.9 mn+7.3%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. TürkiyeUS$ 14.7 mn → US$ 27.3 mn+86%
  2. ChinaUS$ 34.6 mn → US$ 48.8 mn+41.1%
  3. IranUS$ 37.9 mn → US$ 52.2 mn+37.8%
  4. CanadaUS$ 16.2 mn → US$ 19.8 mn+22.2%
  5. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 155 mn → US$ 185 mn+18.8%
  6. NetherlandsUS$ 12.9 mn → US$ 14.9 mn+15.6%
  7. IraqUS$ 93.9 mn → US$ 105 mn+11.7%
  8. KazakhstanUS$ 9.8 mn → US$ 10.8 mn+10.1%

Low demand

  1. GhanaUS$ 19.8 mn → US$ 9.5 mn-52.1%
  2. United States of AmericaUS$ 67.5 mn → US$ 53.4 mn-20.9%
  3. PolandUS$ 14.7 mn → US$ 12.6 mn-14.6%
  4. ItalyUS$ 14 mn → US$ 12.2 mn-12.5%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg — tea black,leaf in bulk0902 40 20US$ 299 mn+6.3%1,02,277 tonnesUS$ 2.93 per kgwas US$ 2.85
Tea black in pckt>3kg but<= 20 kg0902 40 10 · Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kgUS$ 237 mn+22.9%63,383 tonnesUS$ 3.75 per kgwas US$ 3.77
Black tea in packt>25 gm but<=1 kg0902 30 20 · Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 96.1 mn+6.7%21,235 tonnesUS$ 4.53 per kgwas US$ 4.63
Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg — tea bags0902 40 40US$ 79.7 mn-12.9%12,407 tonnesUS$ 6.42 per kgwas US$ 7.00
Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg — other black tea0902 40 90US$ 77 mn-6.6%30,046 tonnesUS$ 2.56 per kgwas US$ 2.63
Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg — tea black,dust in bulk0902 40 30US$ 51.5 mn+22.4%24,169 tonnesUS$ 2.13 per kgwas US$ 1.98
Other black tea in pckts of content not excludingdng 3 kg0902 30 90 · Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 17.7 mn+3.5%2,635 tonnesUS$ 6.72 per kgwas US$ 6.51
Black tea in packts not excdng 25 gm0902 30 10 · Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 8.4 mn+127.3%1,436 tonnesUS$ 5.86 per kgwas US$ 6.00
Tea, green,, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg — tea gren in bulk0902 20 20US$ 6.9 mn-6.4%2,579 tonnesUS$ 2.66 per kgwas US$ 2.70
Other green tea in pckets not excludingdng 3kg0902 10 90 · Tea, green,, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 6.5 mn+6.4%479 tonnesUS$ 13.53 per kgwas US$ 14.12
Black tea in packt>1 kg but<= 3 kg0902 30 30 · Tea, black, and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 5.9 mn+23.3%1,408 tonnesUS$ 4.21 per kgwas US$ 3.97
Other green tea(not fermented) not elsewhere specified0902 20 90 · Tea, green,, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kgUS$ 4.9 mn+15.8%782 tonnesUS$ 6.28 per kgwas US$ 7.39
Tea green in packets not excdng 25 grams0902 10 10 · Tea, green,, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kgUS$ 2.4 mn-0.4%280 tonnesUS$ 8.53 per kgwas US$ 8.83
Green tea in pckts>3kg but<=20 kg0902 20 10 · Tea, green,, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kgUS$ 2.2 mn-5.9%218 tonnesUS$ 10.27 per kgwas US$ 7.45

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 6.12 bn
2023
India among exporters
#4
of 146 countries
India’s share of world exports
8.9%
US$ 707 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 7.22 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 1.74 bn 21.9%
  2. 2KenyaUS$ 1.35 bn 17%
  3. 3Sri LankaUS$ 1.29 bn 16.3%
  4. 4IndiaUS$ 707 mn 8.9%
  5. 5United Arab EmiratesUS$ 482 mn 6.1%
  6. 6PolandUS$ 251 mn 3.2%
  7. 7GermanyUS$ 232 mn 2.9%
  8. 8JapanUS$ 208 mn 2.6%
  9. 9Viet NamUS$ 182 mn 2.3%
  10. 10United KingdomUS$ 121 mn 1.5%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1PakistanUS$ 588 mn 9.6%
  2. 2USAUS$ 520 mn 8.5%
  3. 3IranUS$ 416 mn 6.8%
  4. 4United KingdomUS$ 310 mn 5.1%
  5. 5EgyptUS$ 310 mn 5.1%
  6. 6Saudi ArabiaUS$ 255 mn 4.2%
  7. 7GermanyUS$ 229 mn 3.7%
  8. 8United Arab EmiratesUS$ 221 mn 3.6%
  9. 9China, Hong Kong SARUS$ 190 mn 3.1%
  10. 10MoroccoUS$ 187 mn 3.1%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 579 mnIndia 11.8% · gap US$ 510 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 302 mnIndia 11.1% · gap US$ 269 mn
EgyptUS$ 273 mnIndia 1.8% · gap US$ 268 mn
United KingdomUS$ 310 mnIndia 14.4% · gap US$ 266 mn
GermanyUS$ 249 mnIndia 19.2% · gap US$ 201 mn
FranceUS$ 156 mnIndia 5.4% · gap US$ 147 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 154 mnIndia 5.6% · gap US$ 145 mn
JapanUS$ 161 mnIndia 13.5% · gap US$ 139 mn
ChinaUS$ 157 mnIndia 12.9% · gap US$ 137 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 221 mnIndia 38% · gap US$ 137 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export tea

India is one of the world’s largest tea producers and exporters, alongside China, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Kenya leads in low-cost CTC, Sri Lanka in Ceylon orthodox; India’s strengths are strong Assam CTC, orthodox Assam and Nilgiri, and Darjeeling, a GI tea with a premium name. Russia, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, the UK, the USA and Germany are steady buyers. The openings are orthodox teas (which India has pushed with incentives), specialty and single-estate teas, green and herbal blends, and value-added packs.

  1. 01Get the Tea Board licence

    Apply online to the Tea Board after IEC and FSSAI; without it you cannot export tea.

  2. 02Buy at auction or from estates

    Buy through a broker at the Kolkata, Guwahati, Siliguri, Coonoor, Coimbatore or Kochi auctions, or directly from estates.

  3. 03Match the buyer’s standard

    Send pre-shipment samples; most buyers taste and approve before you ship.

  4. 04Test residues

    Test against the destination’s MRLs, especially for the EU, Japan and the USA.

  5. 05Blend, pack and ship

    Blend if needed, pack in lined sacks or retail packs, stuff and file the shipping bill.

  6. 06File returns with the Tea Board

    Licensed exporters file periodic returns with the Tea Board as the Control Order requires.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting tea

Do I need a Tea Board licence to export small packs?
Yes. Any tea exporter needs the licence under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005.
CTC or orthodox — which is easier to sell?
CTC sells in volume to the Gulf, Egypt and the UK; orthodox sells to Russia, Iran and Europe and often fetches higher prices.
Can I call a blend “Darjeeling”?
Only certified Darjeeling tea, sold by a licensed exporter, may use the name. Check the Tea Board’s Darjeeling portal.
Why does EU-bound tea fail tests?
Pesticide residues above EU limits and contaminants such as anthraquinone. Buy from estates with residue control and test each lot.
How do I find buyers?
Through trade fairs, the Tea Board’s promotion programmes and Indian missions abroad; private-label packing for supermarkets is a common start.
Sources (5)
  1. Tea Board — Control orders
  2. Tea Board — Circular on TDECO 2005 (exporter licence valid 5 years), 7 Aug 2021
  3. Tea Board — Darjeeling Tea certification and traceability portal
  4. Tea Board — Region-wise tea exports 2026 (Jan–Aug)
  5. NABL — National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (laboratory search)

Who buys Indian tea

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