STiR coffee and tea magazine

16 STiR coffee and tea | 2023 Issue 5 (October / November) China's Tea Exports Decline During Year's First Half China's customs data show that exports of tea to all destinations through June amounted to 175,000 metric tons, a 3% decline in volume compared to last year. According to the China Tea Marketing Association the value of China's tea exports for the six-month period fell to $847 million, a year-on- year decrease of 14%. During 2022, China exported $2.1 billion worth of tea, around 375,000 metric tons, for a 25% share of global tea exports by volume. The decline in China's outbound shipments of tea during the year's first half tracks an ongoing deceleration in the nation's overall trade. During the past year, the country's exports dropped 14.5%. In July, Chinese exports suffered their biggest drop in over three years. Exports to the European Union and United States sagged. Nestlé Announces New Sugar Reduction Technology Ready-to-drink teas, juice fusion drinks, and other beverages may benefit from a new sugar-reduction technology developed by Nestlé. The cost- effective process is a clinically proven enzymatic method that reduces intrinsic sugar in beverage ingredients, including milk and fruit juices, by up to 30%, with a minimal impact on taste and texture. The sugar-reduced ingredients can be used in recipes for a wide variety of products. According to the company, there is no need to add sweeteners or bulking agents to replace the volume of sugar eliminated. New process reduces sugar in milk and juices without compromising taste. There are other benefits as well. Used in milk-based tea, the patented sugar reduction method increases prebiotic fibers. The first clinical studies have shown that these fibers can support the growth of beneficial bacteria, helping healthy adults attain a favorable microbiome composition. "Sugar reduction across our portfolio remains a top priority," said Stefan Palzer, Nestlé's chief technology officer. "This new technology is a true breakthrough, as we can reduce sugar without adding sweeteners while preserving a great taste, all at a minimal cost increase. We are now accelerating the global roll-out across formats and categories." Nestlé has installed its sugar reduction technology in production lines for cocoa and malt-based ready-to-drink beverages, such as Milo, across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since 2021, the process has been applied in production of over 200,000 tons of cocoa and malt-based beverages. Nestlé will apply the technique in the manufacturing of dairy-based powders in the near future. — Dan Bolton A decoupling in trade with the U.S. is evident. Exports from China during the first half of the year accounted for the lowest share of U.S. imports in 20 years, at 13.3%, according to Bloomberg News. These exports declined by 25% in value from the same period in 2022 to $203 billion, based on data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The figures are not adjusted for inflation. China has ranked as the top supplier of goods to the U.S. every year for more than a decade, and trade between the two countries reached a record high last year. Bilateral trade is being challenged as Washington and Beijing disagree over human rights issues, fair trade, and competi- tion for technology and markets, according to Bloomberg. The China Tea Marketing Association reports that the average export price from January through June was $4.84 per kilogram, a year-on- year decrease of 11.47%. "China's green tea export volume was 146,300 tons, accounting for 83.6% of the total [tea] export volume, a decrease of 6,251 tons, or 4.1%; black tea export volume was 13,400 tons, accounting for 7.7% of the total export volume, a 4.5% decrease that amounted to 636 tons," according to CTMA. Exports of Pu'er, white tea, jasmine tea, scented tea, and dark tea all declined. The only category that increased was oolong tea. Shipments rose 13.8% to 11,000 metric tons. — Dan Bolton China's tea production increased to a record high volume of 3.35 million metric tons in 2022, of which 11%, or 375,000 metric tons, was exported. Volume of tea production in China in 2022, by type (in 1,000 metric tons) Tea Report

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