Export of herbal tea to Chile promoted

BANGKOK, Aug 6 (TNA) - The Commerce Ministry is encouraging exporters to ship Thai herbal tea to Chile as more Chileans are switching to drinking tea. Malee Choklumlerd, director-general of Commerce Ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion, said the Chileans have consumed more tea during the past five years and people there now ranked first among people in Latin America in consuming tea most. Quoting information released by the World Trade Atlas, Mrs. Malee said Chile imports tea most from Sri Lanka, but has not yet imported tea from Thailand, especially Thai herbal tea. She added tea is one of the products that fall under Thailand-Chile Free Trade Agreement and are exempted from tariff and Thai traders should take the privilege in exporting herbal tea to that country. Mrs. Malee quoted figures on tea sold in Chile by the Euromonitor which showed that retail stores in Chile last year sold 15 tonnes of tea valued at 192 million U.S. dollars. It said that the volume and value would jump to 17.8 tonnes and 225 million U.S. dollars respectively in 2021. Chilean people are now focusing on consuming more hygienic food and this is a good opportunity for traders to export Thai herbal tea to that country, she added. (TNA)