News outlets are reporting that the attacks on ships in the Red Sea may put the British tea supply at risk. Tetley and Sainsbury’s report a shortage of black tea.
One of the UK’s best known tea makers has revealed it is monitoring tea supplies on a daily basis as imports reach a “critical period”.
Tetley Tea, the country’s second biggest tea brand, said supplies were “much tighter” than it would like amid disruption in the Red Sea.
It comes after Sainsbury’s supermarket issued warnings about the availability of black tea.
However, Tetley said it hoped to continue to meet normal demand.
Tetley monitoring its tea supplies on daily basis, BBC News
The warning of delays is the first for a food item, following several from clothing retailers after Iran-aligned Houthi militia attacked ships in and around the Red Sea, slowing trade between Asia and Europe.
Britain, the world’s fifth largest tea importer, gets more than half of its imported tea from Kenya and India, making it dependent on the Red Sea route.
Unprocessed tea is shipped into the UK for processing and packaging, helping to make Britain the 10th largest exporter globally, according to the Institute of Export & International Trade (IEIT).
Britain’s tea supply facing disruption from Red Sea crisis, Reuters
The UK, being the fifth-largest tea importer globally, relies heavily on imports from Kenya and India, which account for over half of its tea imports, making the Red Sea route crucial for its supply.
The UK imports unprocessed tea for local processing and packaging, positioning it as the 10th largest tea exporter worldwide, as per the Institute of Export & International Trade (IEIT).
Andrew Opie, the Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium said, “There is temporary disruption to some black tea lines, but the impact on consumers will be minimal as retailers are not expecting significant challenges.”
Steeped in uncertainty: Red Sea disruptions stir tea supply concerns, Trade Finance Global
