Vietnam's Tea Exports Fall to 77,000 Tonnes in Eight Months as Pakistan Sales Halve

Vietnam exported about 13,000 tonnes of tea worth nearly $27 million in August 2026, according to customs figures reported by soha.vn. Volume was down roughly 5% and revenue 4% from July. Against August 2025, tonnage fell 9% while value rose almost 7% — the clearest sign of the price shift now working through the sector.

Over the first eight months of 2026, exports reached about 77,000 tonnes and nearly $143.5 million. Compared with the same period of 2025, volume dropped almost 10% while value slipped only about 2%. The average export price for the period was around $1,780 per tonne, up nearly 5% year on year.

Weather losses, better product mix

soha.vn attributes the volume decline to unfavourable weather in several key growing regions, which reduced yields and raw leaf quality, and to slowing consumption in traditional outlets including Pakistan and a number of North African countries. Rising average prices alongside falling tonnage indicate that exporters are moving away from bulk raw tea toward higher-value lines.

International demand is shifting in the same direction: buyers are asking for higher-grade tea, processed green tea, oolong, scented tea and products carrying ecological or organic certification. The publication notes this raises the ceiling on export value but requires heavier spending on quality control, processing capacity and brand building.

Pakistan down nearly 60%

Pakistan remains Vietnam's traditional buyer, purchasing mainly black tea, but the figures deteriorated sharply. August shipments to Pakistan were down almost 40% in volume and about 37% in value against a year earlier. For the eight-month period Vietnam sold roughly 12,000 tonnes worth more than $23 million into the market, down nearly 60% on both measures. soha.vn links the contraction to financial barriers and new Halal certification requirements imposed by the importing country.

Other established destinations were mixed. Exports to Taiwan (China) eased slightly in volume but gained more than 10% in value, while shipments to mainland China declined on both volume and revenue.

Middle East, Russia and the US take up the slack

Russia, the United States and Middle Eastern markets recorded gains. Saudi Arabia was the standout: August export value was more than six times the year-earlier level and volume more than tripled. Cumulative eight-month shipments to Saudi Arabia came to about 1,500 tonnes worth more than $4 million, with double-digit growth.

Export duty on Vietnamese tea sold into Middle Eastern markets is 0%, and value-added tax at the export stage is also zero. soha.vn credits that combination for the region's receptiveness to Vietnamese product.

Price gap with Kenya and Sri Lanka

Vietnam, described by soha.vn as the world's fifth-largest tea exporter, competes against suppliers with clear advantages in either scale or branding. Kenya is one of the largest black tea exporters, producing more than 450,000 tonnes a year at an average export price of roughly $2,000–2,100 per tonne, supported by production scale and a centralised auction system. Sri Lanka holds a far higher realisation of about $4,000–4,500 per tonne on the strength of the Ceylon Tea brand and a premium-segment strategy.

Vietnam's average export price is put at around $1,685 per tonne in some comparisons, leaving it below both. soha.vn argues that deeper processing, proprietary brands, compliance with sustainability standards and market diversification will determine whether the industry can hold its export revenue.

Demand is expected to rise seasonally in the fourth quarter, particularly in Asian, Middle Eastern and North American markets during the year-end holiday period, giving exporters an opening for higher-grade and value-added lines.