Tea Price Report (Week 33)

This is the Tea Price Report for Week 33, ending August 15, 2025

Tea Price Report

Tea Price Takeaways

  • Quality premiums are back:
    Clean PF1/BP1s (E.Africa) and bright orthodox (Sri Lanka/Indonesia) drew premiums; plainer leaf faced resistance and higher withdrawals.
  • Retail inflation picture remains mixed:
    India’s historic CPI trough contrasts with modest tea/coffee category firming in the UK/EU and U.S., keeping shelf tags sticky in those destinations.
  • Volumes high, buyers choosy:
    Mombasa saw heavy offerings with >40% withdrawals in an earlier August sale; Colombo’s catalogues remain large but low-growns held firm.
  • Costs & policy still matter:
    Sri Lanka’s wage environment and logistics/fuel dynamics continue to shape exporters’ floor prices into Q3.

India — Retail tags were broadly steady. Wholesale sentiment was mixed: majors protected margins with selective list changes, keeping price action cautious. Auctions showed fair demand: better Assams held value while fannings and plainer Dooars saw heavier withdrawals. Direct buys were quiet, with a focus on quality pockets and short covers rather than volume.

East Africa — Retail read‑through from import destinations suggests prices remain sticky for consumers. At Mombasa, demand improved and averages firmed with PF1/BP1 quality fetching premiums; offerings were lighter and withdrawals fell as buyers chased cleaner leaf. No headline direct‑trade deals; flows remained auction‑led into Pakistan, Egypt, and the Gulf.

Sri Lanka — Retail in key destinations was stable, but orthodox premiums kept shelf prices relatively elevated. Colombo remained buoyant: high-grown rotovane teas were dearer; low-grown leafy mostly firm with selective gains in FBOP/PEK lines. Private‑sale volumes signaled steady off‑catalog demand; direct buys were primarily maintenance of existing programs.

Indonesia — Retail benchmarks in North America continued to support firmed price points. Jakarta offerings were small; about a fifth of invoices went unsold as buyers remained selective. North Sumatra orthodox primary grades were firm to dearer in quality. No significant new direct‑trade announcements; buyers stayed hand‑to‑mouth pending larger autumn schedules.

That’s your Tea Price Report — Week 33.
For expanded coverage and occasional charts, visit Tea Journey (dot) Pub

India

  • Retail prices (consumer): India’s CPI fell to an 8‑year low (1.55% y/y) in July; food inflation turned negative, easing pressure on shelf prices. FMCG players are broadly pausing fresh hikes. MoSPIReutersThe Economic Times
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Packaged tea majors report margin pressure but slower pass‑through to consumers; tone is cautious on list prices despite softer macro inflation. Reutersscanx.trade
  • Auction: Weekly averages for CTC leaf & dust eased w/w: Kolkata ₹247.42/kg (↓ from ₹252.80), Guwahati ₹220.13 (↓ from ₹225.55); South India mixed (Cochin ₹145.76). Tea Board of India
  • Direct buys: No big direct‑trade announcements flagged this week; procurement appears steady with brands prioritizing mix and quality over volume. (Inference from corporate commentary and stable auction flows.) Reuters

East Africa

(Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo*)

  • Retail prices (in key destinations): Pakistan’s weekly SPI (major buyer of Kenya tea) ticked up; “tea prepared” rose 0.31% w/w for the week ended Aug 7—signals still‑sticky consumer prices downstream. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Brokers describe demand as steady to improving across PF1/BP1, where quality is clean; overall tone firmer than early August but selectively quality‑driven. Van Rees
  • Auction (Mombasa): Sale 32 (Aug 12) reported firm-to-dearer PF1s with good general demand; subsequent Sale 34 (Aug 4–5) showed extensive offerings (164,390 pkgs) and a high withdrawal rate (41.03%), underscoring quality selectivity. kpbn.co.idLanka Commodity Brokers
  • Direct buys: No notable off‑auction/direct contracts reported publicly this week; trade remained largely auction‑led into Pakistan, Egypt, and the Middle East. Lanka Commodity Brokers

Sri Lanka

  • Retail prices (in key destinations): EU proxy—Ireland CPI shows “Tea” −1.5% m/m but +2.5% y/y in July; premium orthodox shelf prices remain elevated y/y even as monthly prints soften. Central Statistics Office
  • Wholesale (costs & sentiment): Wage policy changes continue to frame cost discussions; producers warn of margin squeeze from mandated wage hikes (context from prior months).
  • Auction (Colombo): Sale 31 (Aug 12–13) saw good demand. Sale 32A (Aug 19–20) is scheduled with a detailed catalogue. Weekly market reports indicate low growths, mostly firm to dearer, with private-sale activity remaining active. ceylonblacktea.comEastern BrokersLanka Commodity Brokers
  • Direct buys: Private Sale Figures recorded ~190,396 kg (Aug 4–9), indicating steady off‑catalog demand ahead of mid‑August auctions. Lanka Commodity Brokers

Indonesia

  • Retail prices (in key destinations): U.S. CPI shows non‑alcoholic beverages +3.6% y/y; “beverage materials incl. coffee & tea” +8.6% y/y in July—supportive of firmed price points for export‑grade orthodox into North America. Bureau of Labor Statistics+1
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Jakarta offerings light; demand fair, with quality orthodox from North Sumatra described as “firm to dearer” versus plainer grades at discounts. Van Rees
  • Auction (Jakarta): Latest broker note shows ~4,420 packages with ~22% unsold, reflecting selectivity and limited supply. Van Rees
  • Direct buys: No new company‑announced direct purchase deals seen this week; buyers maintain hand‑to‑mouth stances pending larger autumn programs. Van Rees

Note: ChatGPT can make mistakes.

*The Mombasa Tea Auction is the world’s largest black tea auction and one of the few that is uniquely international. It handles teas not only from Kenya, which supplies about 60–65% of the volumes, but also from Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. The average annual volume ranges from 450 to 520 million kilograms. Mombasa is the only auction center in the world trading straight-line teas from more than one country.

Tea Price Report Archive

Week 36 (Aug. 19 – Sept. 5)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-36-aug-30-sept-5-2025
Week 35 (Aug. 23-29)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-35-aug-23-29-2025/
Week 34 (Aug. 16-22)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-34-aug-16-22-2025/
Week 33 (Aug. 9-15)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-33-aug-9-15-2025/

Dan is publisher, podcast host, and blogger. He is a frequent speaker at industry seminars and conferences (virtual and in-person). Dan was the first editor and publisher at World Tea News, worked as editor and publisher of Tea Magazine and managing editor of STiR coffee and tea. His work appears online and in many magazines. In 2016 he organized the collaborative group of tea journalists and experts who founded Tea Journey magazine and in 2021 he launched the Tea Biz podcast. He began his publications career in 1974 as a newspaper reporter.