Sri Lanka’s tea exports in July 2024 reached 21.35 million kilograms, marking a decline of 1.42 million kilograms compared to the same month in 2023, according to data from Sri Lanka Customs.
Despite the decrease in export quantity, the ‘free on board’ (FOB) value per kilogram increased significantly to Rs. 1,773.70 ($ 5.87), reflecting a rise of Rs. 158.39 ($ 0.80) compared to July 2023.
The cumulative exports from January to July 2024, however, showed positive growth, totaling 140.47 million kilograms, an increase of 5.48 million kilograms year-on-year.
Notably, while tea packets and green tea saw declines, bulk tea and tea bags recorded positive variances, contributing to the overall export growth.
Iraq remained the top importer of Ceylon Tea, although its imports slightly decreased by 2% year-on-year.
The data also highlighted that, despite a decrease in the FOB value in local currency terms for the first seven months of 2024, there was a modest gain in US dollar terms.