Food
Black and green tea; imported from India, China, Argentina, and Kenya.
Why it matters · Tea prices track weather in major growing regions and ocean freight.
4
Inputs
13
Companies
0
Facilities
10
Source countries
How it's made
Cultivation & Plucking
Camellia sinensis is grown in tropical highlands (Kenya, Assam/Darjeeling India, China, Sri Lanka) and the top two leaves + bud are plucked, largely by smallholders.
Processing (CTC / Orthodox)
Leaf is withered, then either crush-tear-curl (CTC, for tea bags) or orthodox-rolled; black tea is fully oxidized, green tea is not, then fired/dried.
Auction & Blending
Made tea is graded and sold (e.g. Mombasa auction — the world's largest black-tea auction) and blended to brand spec.
Bag & Package Production
Tea-bag filter paper (abaca/Manila-hemp-based) is formed into bags and filled, or loose tea is packed into tins/pouches.
QC & Distribution
Tea is tested for moisture, pesticide residue and contaminants, then containerized — the US grows almost none and imports nearly all of it.
What it's made of
4 raw inputs feed tea. Inputs flagged with ● are critical — without them, production halts.
Where it comes from
Weighted share of upstream inputs sourced from each country.
| Country | Weighted share | Inputs supplied to tea |
|---|---|---|
| PHPhilippines | 85% | Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp) |
| CNChina | 31% | Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis) · Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit) · Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
| THThailand | 22% | Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
| JPJapan | 21% | Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
| INIndia | 14% | Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis) · Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit) · Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
| ECEcuador | 13% | Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp) |
| FRFrance | 12% | Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit) · Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
| MXMexico | 9% | Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit) |
| KEKenya | 8% | Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis) |
| DEGermany (Federal Republic of Germany) | 7% | Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit) · Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) |
Shipped finished
Countries that ship finished tea directly to the U.S. — distinct from the upstream raw inputs above.
| Country | U.S. imports | Share of U.S. imports |
|---|---|---|
| JPJapan | $192M | 24% |
| CNChina | $94M | 12% |
| CACanada | $94M | 12% |
| INIndia | $86M | 11% |
| ARArgentina | $50M | 6% |
| LKSri Lanka | $48M | 6% |
| TWTaiwan | $23M | 3% |
| GBUnited Kingdom | $23M | 3% |
| DEGermany (Federal Republic of Germany) | $21M | 3% |
| AEUnited Arab Emirates | $19M | 2% |
Who makes it
13 companies in this supply chain, sorted by market share.
Engineered/wet-laid nonwovens maker (merged into Magnera 2024); alkaline-battery and specialty separator media.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags) · Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp)
Replaceability
Substitutability 35% · 6 mo to replace
Business segments
Ahlstrom Corporation (Helsinki Finland; private since delisted 2022 after €800M buyout by Ahlstrom family holding company and private equity) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of fiber-based filtration and life sciences materials. Ahlstrom's filtration segment produces meltblown and wet-laid nonwovens for air filtration (HEPA-grade), liquid filtration, and medical face masks. Key products: BioTerra meltblown air filtration media, Disruptor antimicrobial filter media, and meltblown layers for surgical masks and N95-equivalent respirators. Sites include Turin (Italy), Binzhou (China), Windsor Locks CT (US), and Mundra (India). Ahlstrom was a critical surge supplier for COVID-era mask fabric; the company invested in expanded meltblown capacity through 2020-2021 specifically to supply N95-grade filtration media.
Supplies these inputs
Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp)
Replaceability
Substitutability 45% · 6 mo to replace
Business segments
Melbourne, Australia-based global flexible and rigid packaging company (NYSE: AMCR). On April 30, 2025, Amcor completed its all-stock acquisition of Berry Global Group for $8.4 billion — creating the world's largest flexible packaging company with ~$23 billion in anticipated annual revenue, 400+ facilities globally, and ~70,000 employees in ~140 countries. Amcor had previously acquired Bemis Company (2019, $6.8B). The combined Amcor+Berry entity holds dominant positions in frozen food LLDPE/LDPE packaging film for IQF vegetables, frozen meat, frozen seafood, and convenience foods. Berry had been a major US blown film producer with multiple facilities. Global flexibles represent ~60% of combined Amcor+Berry's business. Brands include Cryovac (via Sealed Air — separate company), Bemis, and many unbranded OEM films.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags)
Business segments
Maker of US banknote (currency) paper and security features; cotton/abaca substrate.
Supplies these inputs
Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp)
Replaceability
Substitutability 15% · 9 mo to replace
Business segments
World's largest commercial banknote printer and security-paper maker (cotton/abaca currency paper).
Supplies these inputs
Tea-Bag Filter Paper (Abaca / Manila Hemp)
Replaceability
Substitutability 40% · 9 mo to replace
Business segments
World's largest flavor and fragrance company; ~CHF 7.2B revenue. Gives its name to flavoring — the flavor science behind processed meat seasonings, sauces, and food products globally. Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing division creates custom spice-based flavor profiles for processed meat, poultry, and seafood applications, supplying global food manufacturers. Notable: same company creates both fine fragrance formulas (for luxury perfumes like Calvin Klein Eternity, Dior J'adore) AND the flavor systems in processed food. The science of 'what smells good' and 'what tastes good' is the same sensory science, practiced by the same company for perfumery and food simultaneously.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit)
Business segments
F&F major (~20% global share); Nouryon acquisition brought enzymes and surfactant inputs.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit)
Business segments
Management agency for ~600,000 Kenyan smallholder tea farmers; world's largest producer of black tea by this structure.
Supplies these inputs
Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis)
Replaceability
Substitutability 45% · 6 mo to replace
Business segments
World's largest tea company (Lipton/PG Tips/Brooke Bond), spun out of Unilever (CVC-owned) in 2022.
Supplies these inputs
Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis)
Replaceability
Substitutability 50% · 6 mo to replace
Business segments
World-leading paper-based packaging maker formed by the July 2024 Smurfit Kappa + WestRock merger; folding cartons and corrugated.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Packaging (Foil Sachets, Cartons, Tags)
Business segments
F&F company; ~10% global fine fragrance share; growing personal care ingredient unit.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit)
Business segments
Owner of Tata Tea and Tetley; major global tea brand and sourcer.
Supplies these inputs
Raw Tea Leaf (Camellia sinensis)
Replaceability
Substitutability 50% · 6 mo to replace
Business segments
dsm-firmenich AG (Kaiseraugst, Basel-Land, Switzerland; formed by merger of DSM NV Netherlands and Firmenich SA Geneva, completed May 2023; combined revenue ~€12B of which fragrance ~€3-4B) is the world's third-largest fragrance company. Firmenich (private, Geneva; founded 1895 by Philippe Chuit and Martin Naef) was the world's largest private fragrance house and the only major fragrance company to remain independent until the DSM merger. Firmenich's fragrance heritage includes Chanel No. 5 (Firmenich supplies the fragrance compound to Chanel — one of the most carefully guarded commercial relationships in the fragrance industry; the Chanel No. 5 formula is a Firmenich-originated formula from 1921). DSM contributed nutrition, health, and biosciences (vitamins, carotenoids, animal feed enzymes) to the merger. The combined dsm-firmenich operates manufacturing at Geneva (Switzerland), Haverhill (UK), Neuvy-sur-Barangeon (France), and Florham Park (USA). The Firmenich name is retained in the merged entity's fragrance operations branding.
Supplies these inputs
Tea Flavorings (Bergamot Oil, Jasmine, Fruit)
Business segments
