It would be interesting if Uzbekistan-a nation with the deepest cultural traditions related to tea-was importing even more tea from India. The importance of tea in Uzbek life goes beyond its merely being a welcome beverage before meals, during, and after as well.
An official from Uzbekistan hoped to revive the influx of Indian tea, which was once the dominant variety in the country but has seen a decline in recent years. “We are a tea-drinking nation, and in earlier times, it was primarily Indian tea that we were used to consuming. However, imports from India declined, and now we hope to import more from India,” said the official.
Statistics show that in 2022, Uzbekistan imported $63.1 million worth of tea, with the majority ($41.5 million) coming from China. However, India’s tea exports to Uzbekistan are still not so significant. Being the second-largest global tea producer, with annual exports worth $706 million, India is interested in finding ways to increase its tea shipments to Uzbekistan.
A recent trade delegation from India had visited Kolkata. The delegation discussed the tea industry’s prospects with officials and renewed the hope of expansion in tea export. The development is in tune with India’s overall objective to enhance trade relationship with Uzbekistan, which currently ranks among India’s top 10 trade partners. Bilateral trade between India and Uzbekistan stood at $756.6 million last fiscal, with exports from India to Uzbekistan having touched $512 million, majorly packaged medicaments, raw sugar, and vaccines.
India’s exports to Uzbekistan have increased at an annual rate of 18.9% over the last five years, which has further strengthened the trade relationship between the two countries.
