Tea imports to India dipped nearly by 18 per cent in the first nine months of the current year to 14.68 million kg, Indian Tea Association said today.
The country had imported 17.88 million kg tea in the January-September period of last year.
India, the world's largest consumer of tea, imports tea only to re-export to other countries. The dip in imports thus signals less re-exports.
Barring Nepal and China, imports from major tea producing countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya and Argentina fell during the January-September period.
Imports from Nepal increased to 5.79 million kg during the January-September period of the current year compared to 5.33 million kg in the corresponding period last year. China has marginally improved its export to India to 0.49 million kg from 0.40 million kg in January-September period last year.
Exports from Indonesia to India dipped to 0.94 million kg from 2.29 million kg. Sri Lanka, too, docked less quantity to India at 0.26 million kg from 0.86 million kg.
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Tea imports from Vietnam and Kenya also dipped to 2.08 million kgs and 1.98 million kgs during the January-September period of the current year from 3.69 million kg and 2.18 million kg, respectively, in the year-ago period.
India, the second biggest producer of tea in the world, accounts for about 28 per cent of global tea production and 14 per cent of trade. There are about 1,600 tea estates in India. The industry employs more than two million people.