Tea Trade in UK 【Part I】

UK is the world largest country of tea import and tea spending. This country import 200,000 ton tea from other country and it take 25% of world Total trade amount. British people have 300 years history of drinking tea. In 19 century, UK becomes the world largest tea spending country and the main tea trader all around the world. Tea auction market in London is the heart of tea trade all over the world and the price of in auction market is a very important index to the World tea price. 

India and Sri Lanka are the main countries that UK imports tea from. From 1970s, East Africa is booming its tea trade to UK. There are three ways trading tea in UK. The first one is that producing country sells the tea to UK. After that London Tea Auction sell the tea at auction. Secondly, tea dealer purchase tea from tea producing country. The third one is to purchase tea from tea garden globally. Four largest tea blenders monopolized 80% of the market. In London or Liverpool tea are being packed and sell to the world or to domestic market in UK. During the tea trade business there two very important organizations have to mention. These organizations are helping tea business running smoothly. The first one is UKTA（United Kingdom Tea Association）and the committee was constitute by tea blender, buyer, producer and broker. The function of UKTA is to dealing with the sources of tea and promoting tea and offer legal or technical help to members. The second one is The Tae Council and this organization was set up in 1996. 

The members of the council are some alliance of producing country and some tea blender in UK. Members of producing counties include Sri Lanka, India, and Kenya and so on. The function of this organization is to advertise the benefit of drinking tea and develop tea market in United Kingdom. This council is very important and has positive effect in developing tea market though only two staff working full time in this organization. The Tae Council and UKTA might have overlapped responsibility but two organizations working perfectly together.