Tea Export Process from India | Step-by-Step B2B Procurement Guide
Importing commercial tea from India requires a structured workflow covering technical specification, sensory sample approval, statutory compliance, and maritime logistics. Byahut Tea Company manages this process systematically from our Siliguri operating desk. Whether you are an established international tea blender, a regional wholesaler, or a brand owner, understanding each milestone ensures transparent order execution, documented quality assurance, and seamless customs clearance at your destination discharge port.
Commercial Workflow Overview
- • Specification Intake: Mapping origins, particle grades, liquor profiles, and target price points.
- • Sample Evaluation: Drawing and dispatching representative counter-samples for buyer sign-off.
- • Proforma Agreement: Establishing commercial terms, Incoterms, and payment structures per contract.
- • Quality & Packaging: Sensory cupping, moisture monitoring, external testing, and sack packaging.
- • Port & Customs: Inland transit to Kolkata, statutory clearances, vessel loading, and document handover.
The 12-Step Indian Tea Export Procedure
A practical, commercial overview of how an international tea order progresses from initial inquiry to final settlement.
Buyer Enquiry
The overseas commercial buyer submits an inquiry specifying tea category (CTC, Orthodox, Green), target origins (Assam, Dooars, Darjeeling), volume scale, and discharge port.
Specification Intake
Our trading desk aligns on technical requirements: particle sizing (e.g., BP, BOP, PF, OF), sensory parameters (briskness, color, strength), target budget, and delivery schedule.
Sample Drawing & Dispatch
Representative counter-samples are drawn from active estate invoices or auction offerings, sealed in moisture-barrier pouches, and dispatched via international air courier.
Evaluation & Approval
The buyer cups candidate samples to confirm liquor appearance, flavor profile, and brewing yield. Counter-sample approval forms the sensory benchmark for the contract.
Quotation & Proforma Invoice
Byahut issues a formal commercial Proforma Invoice establishing itemized pricing, agreed Incoterm (FOB Kolkata/Haldia or CIF), payment terms, and validity timelines.
Lot Procurement & Allocation
Upon contract confirmation, specific garden invoices are purchased or auction lots bid and secured. Consignments are aggregated at our regional storage facilities.
Quality Checks & Testing
Intake lots undergo in-house sensory verification and moisture checks. Where agreed, samples are sent to independent NABL laboratories for pesticide MRL or biological testing.
Export Packaging
Tea is packed into multiwall kraft paper sacks with food-grade barrier liners, configured to buyer specification. Export markings, lot numbers, and net weights are clearly stenciled.
Inland Dispatch & Port Staging
Consignments move via covered road transport from North Bengal to Kolkata port container freight stations (CFS), staging for customs inspection and container stuffing.
Statutory Export Documentation
Export shipping bills are filed in accordance with statutory Tea Board of India export regulations. Plant quarantine officers inspect cargo to issue the government Phytosanitary Certificate, with Certificate of Origin.
Container Stuffing & Shipment
Sacks are loaded into clean, lined containers fitted with industrial desiccants. Container doors are sealed under customs supervision, and the box is loaded onto the ocean vessel.
Document Handover & Settlement
Once the ocean Bill of Lading is generated, complete shipping documents are transmitted via bank channels or international express courier for destination customs clearance.
Frequently Asked Questions: Tea Export Procedure
What payment terms are accepted for bulk tea export contracts?
International commercial payment terms are agreed per contract based on transaction scale, order history, and destination banking standards. Supported options include confirmed Irrevocable Letters of Credit (L/C at sight) or advance Telegraphic Transfer (T/T), structured per mutual commercial agreement.
What is the typical timeframe from contract finalization to ocean vessel departure?
Under normal commercial circumstances, lot procurement, secondary cupping verification, packaging, road transit to Kolkata port, statutory phytosanitary inspection, and customs clearance take approximately 12 to 18 business days from payment settlement, subject to sailing schedules.
Does Byahut hold inventory of the exact sampled lot while awaiting approval?
Tea lots on auction floors and estates trade actively. While representative samples reflect current available invoices or blend formulas, specific auction lots are secured upon commercial contract execution or formal reservation agreement.
Can buyers inspect cargo before container stuffing at Kolkata port?
Yes. Buyers may appoint independent third-party marine survey agencies (such as SGS or Bureau Veritas) to inspect tea sacks, verify tare/net weights, draw random samples, and supervise container stuffing at the Kolkata port container freight station (CFS).
Initiate Your Indian Tea Procurement
Submit your technical requirements, desired tea origin, and volume scale to begin step 1 of the commercial export process.