Unprecedented boost for Ceylon Tea in China
THE Regional Tea Promotion Unit attached to the Embassy of Sri Lanka
in Tokyo under whose purview the neighbouring Far Eastern tea markets
such as South Korea and China are classified, undertook a promotional
exercise recently to penetrate the large Chinese consumer market with
Ceylon orthodox Black Tea.
It was a success and achieved positive results. Usually, the Chinese
are famous for drinking Green Tea, Oolong Tea and Jasmine Tea.
Ceylon Tea exports to China which stood at 170,000 Kgs in 2003
increased more than two fold to 473,000 kgs in 2004.
The highlights of the promotional drive just completed includes a
historic Sri Lanka/China joint venture company by the name of Blue Pearl
International was established in Shanghai to market Mabroc Teas. The new
Company immediately placed an order for a container load of Ceylon Tea.
Perhaps the first ever "Pure Ceylon Tea House/Shop" was opened in the
heart of Beijing city in Yabalu area where thousands congregate
everyday.
Two large open forums were arranged under the auspices of the China
Chamber of Commerce in Beijing and Shanghai respectively where power
point presentations were done to explain the unique characters of Ceylon
Tea and the achievements of the tea industry in Sri Lanka.
The famous China Tea Street in Beijing was visited where 160 odd tea
merchants are selling Chinese Tea. After an address to the Chinese
traders, they showed a keen interest to try out Ceylon Black Tea.
Since China has the fastest growing, largest middle class in the
world, the demand for imported products and new items is amazingly huge.
Therefore, the trend for the Chinese consumers, particularly the
younger generation to favour Ceylon Black Tea which is a new product to
them in the not too distant future, appears bright. |