Vietnam tea exports: why market mix matters to the future of higher-value powdered tea
Vietnam's traditional tea export base shows reach; the next challenge is moving more value into differentiated formats.
A broad export footprint
VietnamPlus reported that Vietnam exported more than 109,000 tonnes of tea worth over US$188 million in the first ten months of 2025, with Pakistan, Taiwan and China among the leading markets. Full-year reporting later put 2025 exports at nearly US$238 million.
Volume and value are different strategies
Traditional black and green tea exports create scale and relationships, but powdered tea and premium formats require different processing, testing, packaging and brand development. The move toward matcha should therefore be treated as product innovation rather than a simple extension of bulk tea trading.
Opportunity for importers and brand owners
Buyers can work with Vietnam on application-specific development where price-to-performance matters. The strongest programs will be transparent about origin, processing and quality rather than relying on borrowed Japanese-style terminology.
