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Robert Xiong

Hunan Xiaoxiang Tea Industry Co.,Ltd

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  • Educating consumers about tea's cultural significance, health benefits, traditions, history.
  • Facilitating the exchange of best practices among growers, traders, and researchers.
  • Leveraging digital technologies, including blockchain and artificial intelligence, to enhance transparency and efficiency.
  • Marketing, brand building, practical experience in retail and wholesale, import and export and logistics.
  • Tasting, blending, formulation, packaging, product life-cycle

Here is what most interests me in tea. International tea trading is a very complicated subject and I would like to see how well-trained I can be if I stick in the trade long enough and learn each day. I have been exporting Chinese teas to Europe and all alround the world for 13 years this year in 2025. During the process, I have met some very great tea people in the trade and I have developed some understanding of how Chinese teas are consumed internationally. Some industrial type of Chinese teas are manufactured for certain group of consumers and these markets have been in existence since long ago. For these commodity teas, we need to ensure strict quality standard and competitive price to maintain our position. As these teas are mainly export-oriented and these commodity teas are losing appeal to younger generations and their markets are dwindling, traditional commodity tea manufacturers are forced to turn their eyes to domestic markets as a way out. Now they are happily manufacturing in large scale for the booming tea beverage industry in China.Traditionally export-oriented commodity teas are becoming less and less and the quality deterioates. So ends the happy days for us Chinese tea exporters. It is very hard for us to maintain the same quality and price and the stable supply chain. I believe the future for Chinese tea exporters lies in specialty teas with superior qualities and immense charm for people today in this unresting world. For commondity tea users, tea is another beverage. For many Chinese tea drinkers, tea is a value, a culture, and an identity.

My comments on the most critical threats/opportunities facing the tea industry globally.

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Dan is an editor and publisher, a podcaster, blogger, and beverage retail consultant. 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 and has 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 launched the Tea Biz podcast. He began his publications career in 1974 as a newspaper reporter.