The system of regulating tea imports in Azerbaijan infringes the interests of Russian exporters, the Russian association of tea and coffee makers ‘Roschaykofe’ told Premier Vladimir Putin. Russian exporters could earn $50 million but so far their income is $34 million. Azerbaijan earns $4.5 million from tea exports to Russia, Turan reports.
‘Roschaykofe’ said in a letter to Putin that Azerbaijan forbids tea imports, despite the absence of any official barriers to the Azerbaijani tea market, the head of ‘Roschaykofe’, Namaz Chanturia, said.
He noted that Azersun is the monopolist that gets the main dividends. The only way to work on the local market is purchasing unofficial quotas for tea imports. ‘Roschaykofe’ says that this violates the international laws of the free market. At the same time, Russia has created no obstacles for Azerbaijani tea. Imports rose by 22% in 2009, compared to 2008 (2.4 thousand tons), and income rose by 26% ($4.5 million).
Russia exported 1.4 thousand tons of tea worth $34 million to Azerbaijan in 2009. Chanturia said that Russian companies could fully cover the demand for tea but the high competition allows for only half of the full capacity – 7-8 thousand tons.
‘Roschaykofe’ asked the Russian government for support and restoration of the mutually beneficial trade-economic relations between the two countries. If the problem is not settled, the association asked that tea imports from Azerbaijan be limited.
Azerbaijani demand for tea is 15,000 tons. Research shows that local tea production does not exceed 300 tons. The production is based on importing enzymatic tea to Azerbaijan and then packaging it under various brands.
