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Taiwan's teas are proving a valuable export commodity

Teas, including Oolong tea and green tea, have been one of the nation's most important agricultural exports, officials from the Council of Agriculture (COA) said yesterday.

With their high quality and unique aroma, the teas have enjoyed strong sales in rich countries such as Japan and the US, and their international competitiveness is advancing with each passing day, said Huang Yu-tsai (黃有才), director of the council's office in central Taiwan.

Although tea makers export a far smaller volume of tea than the volume of tea leaves that are imported, the total value of such exports is about equal to that of the imports, Huang said.

Huang quoted COA tallies that exports of tea leaves amounted to 2,400 tonnes, worth NT$480 million (US$13.8 million) last year, compared to the 15,300 tonnes imported last year at a total cost of NT$530 million (US$15.3 million).

The average unit price of local tea leaves is about six times that of imported tea leaves, Huang said.

He said most imported tea comes from Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
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