Tea exchange nurtures blossoming China-African trade opportunities

Boxes of tea to be exported to African countries are carried by a robotic arm at Huangshan Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd. in Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 21, 2024. [Photo by Hu Fazheng/Xinhua]

HEFEI -- During the rainy season in Kano State, Nigeria, the muggy and humid weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of 54-year-old Saleh Haruna for work.

As an overseas warehouse manager of the Chinese company Huangshan Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd., he and four other local employees were busy packaging 180 tonnes of Chinese tea which would be sent to some African countries.

It's widely known that Chinese tea is popular in Africa, said Haruna, adding that China and Africa are closely connected through various trade and exchanges including tea exchange.

As one of the three major beverages in the world, tea originating from China is a daily necessity for many Africans to quench their thirst and cool off in hot and dry conditions. According to the Tea Industry Committee of the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation, of China's top 10 tea-exporting countries and regions, seven are in Africa.

Located in Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, one of China's major tea cultivating areas, Jinyuming Food Co., Ltd. has exported tea to nearly 10 African countries including Ghana, Senegal and Morocco since 2008, with an annual export volume of 8,000 tonnes of green tea.

"Africa is our most important market. Currently, our company has seven automated production lines, producing nearly 40 tonnes of green tea every day. These teas will be transported to African countries by sea," said Ye Song, export business manager of Jinyuming.

The tea exchanges between China and Africa date back to centuries ago when the ancient Maritime Silk Road boosted the trade and exchanges between continents. Nowadays, more and more Chinese tea enterprises are tapping the African market and customizing products for different African countries.

At the exhibition hall of Huangshan Best Organic Tea Industrial Co., Ltd., nearly 50 kinds of tea products printed with French and Arabic descriptions filled the shelves. "We have developed diversified products according to the drinking habits and tastes of different African countries," said Cheng Haixia, who is in charge of the company's export business.

For example, locals in West African countries prefer to use small pots to brew tea, and we developed a 25-gram small box pack of tea suitable for single use, which is very popular, Cheng added.

During the past years, the company's tea export volume to African countries has grown from more than 10 million U.S. dollars in 2020 to an estimated 65 million this year, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 60 percent.

"Considering the uneven economic development of African countries, we plan to further expand the scale of our office in Mali and further lower the price of tea sold in Africa," Cheng said.

For Wu Weiwei, deputy general-manager of Huangshan Wangguangxi Songluo Tea Corp., Ltd., tea cooperation between China and Africa is more than a promising economic exchange, as it also provides an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges.

During the past years, Wu has participated in several tea exhibitions held in Morocco and Algeria. "When I talked with the Africans, they often shifted the topic from tea to local life, such as Chinese-assisted railway ports and commercial complexes when they learned that I'm from China," said Wu.

The cooperation between China and Africa has developed steadily in recent years. Data showed that China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15th consecutive year, with a trade volume of 282.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. By the end of 2023, the stock of Chinese direct investment in Africa had exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars.

Sino-African cooperation has brought practical benefits to people of both sides and provided a platform for more African youth to pursue their dreams.

Idris Mahmoud, a 28-year-old student in Ghana has found his passion and dream in the tea exchanges.

"In my childhood, I used to watch Chinese movies, and one thing that inspired me a lot was seeing Chinese people having their tea in the movies. I love drinking Chinese tea," said Mahmoud, adding that he wishes to learn the Chinese tea culture and open a tea shop of his own.

Tea is like a bond. With frequent exchanges between China and Africa, the locals gradually accept the traditions of drinking tea and understand and love Chinese tea culture, he said.