Nepal’s stall at Beijing International Tea and Tea Ceremony Exhibition.
In this year’s Beijing International Tea and Tea Ceremony Exhibition, where nearly 700 exhibitors competed for attention, the scale of China’s tea industry was on full display. For many, it is a sensory experience. For producers, it is something more practical. It is a place to compete for attention, to test products, and increasingly, to see whether they can be remembered.
And across all the four big halls, sellers gathered with rows of polished brands and carefully packaged leaves with centuries-old traditions distilled into cups of varieties of tea, drawing visitors eager to taste and buy from one of the most sophisticated tea markets in China.
Among the larger and more established Chinese brands, a smaller group of stalls carried a significant presence. This year, tea producers from Nepal traveled to Beijing themselves, bringing with them not just their tea, but their own stories of production and an identity of Nepali tea. In one corner of Nepal’s stall, Prakash Lama, a tea master and owner of “Everest Tea House,” demonstrated brewing techniques with practiced precision, pouring hot water in smooth, deliberate motions. Visitors passed by in large numbers, all stopping to ask questions about Nepali tea, it’s origin and harvest.
For a long time, Nepali tea has existed in the background of the global market. Nepal produces both orthodox and CTC (crush-tear-curl) tea, with annual output reaching roughly 13,000 metric tons of CTC tea and around 2,000 metric tons of orthodox tea, according to data shared by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing at the Nepal Tea Promotion Conference. Much of its higher-value orthodox tea is exported to markets such as Japan, the United States, Germany, and India.
Yet, despite this output, Nepal has struggled to establish a distinct identity. Its teas are often compared to Darjeeling, sometimes blended into other products, and rarely recognized under their own name. However, efforts to change this are becoming more visible. “It’s our honor to share that tea producers themselves are participating,” said Parbati Aryal, Minister (Economic) at the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing. “The Government of Nepal has been promoting tea producers to approach international markets directly.”
Instead of relying on exporters or intermediaries, Nepali producers are increasingly presenting their tea in person, introducing Nepali tea to international markets and trying to build recognition from the ground up.
For producers like Gita Magar, a tea farmer from Ilam, that effort is closely tied to both geography and community.
“We are tea farmers and producers from Ilam, Nepal, nestled in the eastern Himalayan hills, one of the world’s most exceptional tea-growing regions,” she said. Nearly 70% of workforce in Magar’s company are women, with most of our team coming from local communities in eastern Nepal. “Through tea production, we aim to empower women, create meaningful local employment, and support rural livelihoods. Our tea reflects the true story of Nepal’s small tea farmers and producers. Every cup carries not only the character of the Himalayan terroir, but also a story of sustainability, empowerment, and craftsmanship.”
Her description reflects the structure of Nepal’s tea industry itself. More than 40,000 people are directly employed in tea cultivation, collection, and processing, and over 67 percent of growers are small-scale farmers. Around 60-70 percent of the workforce involved in plucking and processing is made up of women, making tea one of the country’s more gender-inclusive agricultural sectors.
China, however, is not just another export destination. It is the world's largest tea producer, with annual output exceeding 3 million metric tons , and one of its largest consumers, with a domestic market worth billions of dollars. Tea is deeply embedded in daily life, with regional varieties carrying centuries of history and cultural meaning. Consumers are not only familiar with tea, but they are also often highly knowledgeable about it.
Parbati Aryal, Minister (Economic) of Embassy of Nepal in Beijing speaking at Nepal tea promotion conference in Beijing International Tea and Tea Ceremony Exhibition
That alone changes the nature of competition. In many Western markets, Nepali tea can be introduced as something new. In China, it enters a space where consumers already have strong preferences and a wide range of domestic options.
Nepal exports thousands of tons of tea globally, in recent years, its presence in China has also been decent. From January to November 2025, Nepal exported approximately 14.9 tons of tea to China . However, even with imports increasing by around 117 percent year-on-year , the total volume remains minimal compared to China's domestic production.
That gap between growing interest and limited recognition defines much of Nepal's position. At the stall level, that challenge becomes visible in minor interactions. “Many serious tea drinkers already know about Nepali tea, especially that it's organic," said Mr. Lama, who has around 20 years of experience in the industry. "But we still have to explain a lot about where it's from, how it's grown and what makes it different."
Visitors approach, taste, and then ask questions about geography, cultivation and comparison. In many cases, producers find themselves describing not just their product, but the entire context behind it.
However, this exhibition has been quite rewarding for the sellers. "We brought around 40 to 45 kilograms of tea, and we've already sold almost all of it," Lama said.
The engagement has not been limited to one-time purchases. “Many of the customers who bought from us came back the next day to buy again,” he said. “And a lot of people asked for our contact information and said they want to order in the future.” For producers, that kind of interest matters as much as immediate sales. It suggests not just curiosity, but the beginnings of sustained demand.
That push toward recognition is not only coming from long-term producers. It is also being driven by a newer generation of Nepali tea entrepreneurs looking to scale up and reposition the industry.
Roshan Pokharel, owner of Mangmalung Tea Estate Limited, described a sector that is trying to move beyond small-scale exports toward more structured growth. His company is developing a 600-hectare tea plantation along with three processing factories , reflecting a level of investment that remains relatively rare in Nepal's tea industry. “Our high-altitude terroir, favorable climate, and experienced producers allow us to create teas with fine aroma and premium market potential,” he said while speaking at the conference.
At the same time, he acknowledged that reaching that potential requires more than production. Nepal's tea industry, he said, is working to strengthen quality, consistency, processing, and branding , while building long-term relationships with international buyers.
China, in that context, is not just a destination for exports, but a strategic partner. "It is one of the world's greatest tea markets, with deep culture and sophisticated," Pokharel said. "We see strong potential for cooperation, not only in trade, but in sourcing, distribution, specialty consumers partnerships and long-term investment."
If producers like Magar represent Nepal's roots, and sellers like Lama reflect its early market entry, entrepreneurs like Pokharel point toward what the industry is trying to become.
Part of that transformation depends on how Nepal defines itself. Commercial tea cultivation in the country began relatively recently, after 1966 , often on previously unused land in mid-hill to Himalayan regions. These areas, typically ranging between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea level , offer conditions widely considered ideal for high-quality tea production. Production methods are another point of distinction. Many farmers rely on compost-based fertilizers made from local materials such as grasses, plants, and livestock manure. These practices are often described as organic or low chemical, although certification levels vary.
When it comes to harvesting, quality is maintained through techniques like fine plucking, selecting only the bud and the second and third leaves. This contributes to the lighter, more aromatic profile associated with Nepal's orthodox teas.
Yet even with these advantages, recognition remains the central issue. Chinese producers arrive at the expo with established branding, strong regional identities, and clear positioning within the domestic market. Names tied to provinces like Zhejiang, Fujian, or Yunnan carry immediate meaning for buyers. Nepal, by contrast, is still in the process of building that kind of recognition. This year at the expo, Instead of relying on reputation it seemed to rely mostly on explanation. Rather than being immediately understood, Nepali tea was introduced through conversation, one interaction at a time. But, Nepali producers who traveled all the way from Nepal were not just selling a product, they were also shaping how that product is understood.
At the same time, there are areas where Nepal may have an advantage. Globally, there is increasing interest in sustainability and small-scale production. Nepal's tea industry, largely built around smallholder farmers, fits naturally into this trend. More than two-thirds of growers operate at a small scale, and tens of thousands of livelihoods depend directly on tea.
“When you love Nepali tea,” Aryal said, “you are sharing happiness with the faces of Nepali women and small farmers.”
Whether that message resonates widely in China is still uncertain. Chinese consumers already have access to a vast range of domestic teas, many of which are deeply tied to regional identity and cultural heritage. For Nepal to stand out, it will need to offer something that feels both different and relevant within that context.
After several days at the expo, Lama said the long-term potential is clear, even if the market is still developing.
"I've always believed the Chinese market is very strong for high-quality tea," he said. "If the quality is there, people here will appreciate it."
For now, much of the engagement remains at an early stage which focused on introduction rather than large-scale trade. But that is often how new markets begin. Before recognition comes familiarity. Before familiarity comes explanation.
So, for now, the question arises. Can Nepal tea stand out in China?
The answer is not yet clear. In a market as crowded and established as China’s, standing out is never easy. But for Nepal's tea industry, the effort to be recognized has clearly begun and this year's Beijing expo suggests there is real potential ahead.
.
