China is the largest tea producer in the world. Why does Morocco import the most tea from China?

Historically, tea was transported from China to Morocco in North Africa through the Silk Road. Moroccans have a long history of drinking tea. The local climate is dry and hot all the year round, belonging to Islamic countries. Locals don't drink. Tea that can refresh and quench thirst has become their daily drink. Everyone likes drinking tea, from the king to the common people. Green tea is an important part of Moroccan traditional culture. Morocco is the largest importer of green tea in the world. Moroccans often say that half of their bodies are green tea.

Tea is not only a simple hot drink, but also a cultural feature, a way to entertain guests and an ancient ceremony. In Morocco, a large part of people's family income is spent on drinking tea, which shows the status of tea in Moroccan life. Tea is very popular in Morocco, but it is not produced. The annual consumption of tea is totally dependent on imports, of which 98% comes from China.

Morocco's domestic market has a population of 30 million and consumes more than 60,000 tons of tea every year. Whether you walk into a Moroccan home or a roadside shop, there will be a refreshing smell of tea. When Moroccans drink tea, they should not only pay attention to the aroma, but also be very thick and sweet, and then pour fresh mint into a teacup to cool off the heat. Moroccans will use green tea when receiving guests or relatives and friends. China green tea enjoys a high reputation in Morocco. Moroccans must buy tea during the Lunar New Year holiday. They pay special attention to buying high-grade green tea in China, just like buying holiday clothes and other holiday foods. In their eyes, people who can buy green tea and entertain guests with green tea are symbols of family wealth.

According to the research of China Agricultural University, China tea market is in a monopoly position in Morocco, which has affected the price of Moroccan tea market. Make full use of the strong preference of Moroccans for China green tea and the advantages of the current open tea market, more China tea enterprises will have the opportunity to enter the Moroccan market.

90% of Morocco's tea imports come from Zhejiang Province. With the rapid growth of Zhejiang tea exports, the export share has gradually increased. In recent years, it has basically remained at around 90%, of which Shaoxing accounts for half. Morocco's tea import threshold continues to rise. In recent years, the Moroccan government has opened the market and accepted more tea sources, but it has intensified the general survey of imported tea pesticides. Sampling inspection includes fenvalerate, imidacloprid, acetamide and triazophos. Pesticide projects are similar to those in the European Union. These general surveys of Morocco's official sampling provide data accumulation and foundation for formulating pesticide residue standards in tea. In the future, the Moroccan government will start to formulate pesticide residue standards in tea, which will have a great impact on China's tea exports.