Declining Bids Mark Tea Auction's Descending Trend

In the global tea market, several countries have reported their tea sales for the first six months of 2025. Here's a breakdown of the tea trade activities at the Mombasa Tea Auction and the performance of various countries.

Kenya, a major player in the tea industry, sold 203.3 million kilos of tea to 78 out of the 80 participating buyers. In contrast, the volume of tea traded at the auction decreased by 32.5 million kilos between January and June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) Managing Director, George Omuga.

The auction received less volume of tea in 2025, with the seven countries that traded offering 247.5 million kilos for sale, compared to 279 million kilos offered in the same period in 2024.

Kenya's biggest importers included Pakistan, which led with 97.3 million kgs, followed by Egypt, the United Kingdom, and the UAE with 37.2 million kgs, 20.7 million kgs, and 13.3 million kgs, respectively. However, the search results do not provide specific information about which buyer purchased the most kilograms of tea from Kenya in the first half of 2025.

Global Tea emerged as the biggest buyer at the auction, purchasing a total of 31.7 million kilos. Among these, Global Tea bought 27.1 million kgs of tea from Kenyan tea producers, including factories under the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). KTDA-owned Chai Trading bought 26.8 million kilos of tea leaves offered at the sale.

Other countries that participated in the auction and reported their tea sales include Uganda, which sold 24.4 million kilos of tea, Tanzania with 2.7 million kilos, and Mozambique with 45,329 kilos. Malawi sold 736,752 kilos, and Burundi reported 875,944 kilos, while Rwanda sold 15.8 million kilos of tea in the six months.

Pakistan, however, dominated the tea market as the biggest importer, with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania being significant tea exporters. The tea trade continues to evolve, and these figures provide a snapshot of the market dynamics in the first half of 2025.