India's tea imports soar in 2009
Indias tea import bill has shot up by 46% in the first six months of 2009, as it increased imports from Nepal, Vietnam and Argentina. The Indian tea industry is importing these teas, which are primarily meant for re-export, to maintain a competitive advantage in the global export markets. As prices of tea continue to rise due to production shortages, the industry is resorting to imports of cheaper teas from other countries, which are then blended with Indian tea for export markets. In 2009, India has even started to buy tea from non-traditional countries like Canada, Iran and the US.