Reports
Discussion Papers
No.644 Trend in Tea Trade and the Role of Supply Chain
by Kaoru Nabeshima and Etsuyo Michida
March 2017
ABSTRACT
This
paper
first
shows
the
trend
of
tea
trade
in
major
exporting
countries.
Although
tea
trade
has
been
expanding,
stricter
regulation
and
tighter
food
safety
requirements
lead
to
a
decline
of
trade
and
a
consolidation
of
tea
supply
chains
into
a
handful
of
multinationals
is
observed.
Challenges
that
exporters
face
stemming
from
supply
chain
management
as
well
as
regulatory
compliances
are
reviewed
from
the
literature.
Commoditization
has
been
progressed
with
consumers’
willingness
to
pay
for
organic
or
other
special
characteristics
and
it
leads
to
consolidation
of
supply
chains.
Tea
industry
is
shown
as
a
good
example
for
this
global
trend.
Consolidation
of
supply
chains
has
an
important
implication
for
economic
development
in
developing
countries
that
depend
on
agricultural
export.
Keywords:
Food
Standards
Compliance,
Importer,
Supply
Chain
JEL
classification:
D22,
O12
PDF available at http://hdl.handle.net/2344/1618
Please note that discussion papers are works in various stages of progress and most have not been edited and proofread and may contain errors of fact or judgment. Revised versions of these papers may subsequently appear in more formal publication series. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). The IDE does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included and accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from its use.