Keemun Black Tea Prices in 2026: What Buyers Actually Pay

Keemun — usually spelled Qimen in China — is not a single price point. It is one of China’s most recognized black teas, produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province, from the local Zhuye cultivar and a small group of high-aroma tea plant lines. Depending on picking standard, leaf grade, harvest timing, order volume, and whether the lot is single-origin or blended, the same 2026 harvest can trade across a very wide range. This guide uses wholesale indicators from China Tea Marketing Association buyer briefs and FAO tea trade data to show the price bands buyers should expect, where the margin sits, and where overpaying usually happens [1][2].

Keemun Wholesale Price Ranges for 2026

The table below sets out indicative FOB ranges for loose-leaf Keemun from Anhui suppliers. These are not fixed offers; they are planning ranges for dry-leaf wholesale lots, usually packed in 5 kg, 10 kg, or 20 kg food-grade foil bags inside export cartons.

The ranges are compiled from CTMA wholesale dry-leaf samples and FAO specialty-tea trade indicators [1][2]. The wider a supplier’s range between the first quote and the final contracted price, the more important it is to pin down grade, harvest year, and lot size.

Need a written estimate for a specific grade? Send the grade, volume, and destination port to xuansc2144@gmail.com and we will return a FOB or CIF planning range with pack size and lead time.

Why the 2026 Price Spread Is Wider Than Usual

Global black tea trade remains sensitive to weather-driven yield changes, and FAO indicators show premium specialty lots moving independently of commodity tea prices [1]. For Qimen specifically, local industry reporting points to early-spring bud availability as the biggest swing factor [3].

A cold April or a dry late-March can reduce the early harvest and push Hao Ya and early Mao Feng lots higher by 15–30% within a season. Summer and autumn lots, by contrast, rarely move to the same degree because they are picked more mechanically and used in standard grades.

Currency also matters. When the Chinese yuan strengthens against the US dollar or euro, USD FOB quotes can rise even when the farm-gate price in yuan stays flat. Shipping surcharges, packaging input costs, and domestic Chinese demand for gift-format tea around autumn festivals can all widen the gap between entry and premium Keemun.

Grade Labels: What You Should Verify Before Paying

Keemun’s grade names are not always used identically across export markets, but the underlying manufacturing and quality rules for black tea are defined in ISO 3720 [4]. Authentic Qimen black tea must also fall within the registered geographical indication boundary for Qimen County and its designated producing area [5].

The most important terms are:

• Congou: a broken-leaf style made through the traditional gongfu process. It is the workhorse Keemun grade.
• Mao Feng: a whole-leaf style, usually bud-and-two-leaf, with more delicate aroma and a lighter liquor than Congou.
• Hao Ya: “fine bud” grade. Hao Ya A is the top tier; Hao Ya B has slightly less bud content and a lower price.
• Single-lot: the tea comes from one harvest batch, not a blend of seasons or regions. It should carry a lot number.

“Keemun” used loosely can also mean a blended Anhui black tea with Keemun-like aroma but not true Qimen origin. That is not automatically inferior, but it should be priced differently and labeled honestly.

Wholesale vs. Retail: Where the Margin Sits

Landed cost depends on tariff classification, destination country, and order volume. In many markets, black tea classified under HTS 0902.30 is treated differently from flavored or herbal blends, which can change the total import cost [6].

As a rough planning rule: a $40/kg FOB Keemun Mao Feng may add $4–9/kg for freight, insurance, customs entry, warehousing, and repacking before it reaches a retail shelf. Retail tins and gift boxes can then carry 2.5–5x that landed cost because the buyer is paying for brand positioning, packaging, shelf life management, and smaller sellable units.

For wholesale buyers, the most controllable levers are order volume, pack size, destination incoterm, and whether the supplier already holds the grade in stock or must allocate from a new batch.

What a Reliable Keemun Quote Should Include

Before comparing prices, put every quote on the same basis. A quote is only reliable when it names:

• Grade name: Congou, Mao Feng, Hao Ya A, or Hao Ya B.
• Harvest year and season: 2025 late spring, 2026 early spring, etc.
• Lot number or batch code.
• Origin statement: Qimen County with GI registration evidence [5].
• Moisture and total ash: moisture below 7.0% is a common contract requirement under ISO 3720 [4].
• Pack size and pallet configuration.
• Incoterm: FOB Shanghai, FOB Huangshan, CIF destination port, or EXW.
• Payment and inspection terms, including sample retention.

If a Keemun quote does not state grade or harvest year, it is not a comparison-grade quote yet. We can help benchmark supplier offer sets against current FOB ranges — send your target grades and volume to xuansc2144@gmail.com with “Keemun buying brief” in the subject line.

Where Overpaying Usually Hides

The most common pricing traps are not fake tea; they are mislabeled tea.

• Old harvest sold as new: a 2024 lot described as “current season” without a harvest year. This matters most for early-spring grades.
• Blend sold as single-lot: perfectly acceptable for standard Congou, but not at single-lot premium pricing.
• Non-Qimen Anhui black tea using the Keemun name: legitimate black tea, but it should not carry Qimen GI pricing [5].
• Grade inflation: broken Congou blended with a small percentage of Mao Feng is still Congou.

A practical check is to request a sample, inspect the leaf size and tip percentage, and ask for the lot’s origin registry or supplier audit trail. For premium Hao Ya A or micro-lot pricing, ask specifically whether the lot is hand-picked early spring and whether it is traceable to a named village or factory.

Buying Windows and Volume Levers

Local production calendars show the strongest buying windows for Keemun are late April through June for spring material [3]. Early-spring micro-lots are usually committed before or during the April flush. Standard Congou and Mao Feng grades are more flexible because larger factories can hold and blend across the season.

Volume changes the unit price more than most other factors after grade. A 100 kg order and a 1,000 kg order of the same Congou grade are not simply 10x apart in value; the larger order usually unlocks better packing efficiency, lower per-kilo freight, and a cleaner production run.

The most reliable combination for importers is to contract the premium early-spring lot early, then balance the container with standard Congou and Mao Feng grades ordered at the same time.

Source From a Verified Keemun Supplier

Before you place an order, put the quote back into one checklist:

• Confirm the grade name, harvest year, and lot number.
• Ask for a GI origin statement or Qimen County supplier trace.
• Request a 50–100 g sample before the full order.
• Fix the moisture, ash, and packaging specs in the contract.
• Agree on FOB or CIF, payment terms, and inspection rights.

For a direct FOB/CIF planning quote from a Chinese tea supplier, send your target grades, volume, and destination port to xuansc2144@gmail.com. We reply with a grade-by-grade range, pack size options, and lead times from Anhui.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Keemun black tea expensive compared with other Chinese black teas?

It sits in the upper-middle for Chinese black tea. Standard Keemun Congou is broadly comparable to decent Dianhong or Anhui black tea by volume, while Hao Ya A and verified early-spring micro-lots can be significantly more expensive because they use a high percentage of tippy buds and limited harvest windows.

What is the difference between Keemun Hao Ya A and Keemun Mao Feng?

Hao Ya A is a tippy, fine-bud grade with a high proportion of golden buds and a concentrated aroma. Keemun Mao Feng is a whole-leaf, bud-and-two-leaf style with a softer, more floral profile. Mao Feng can look larger in the dry leaf but is usually priced below Hao Ya A.

Does higher price always mean better Keemun?

Not always. Higher price should mean higher bud content, earlier harvest, better sorting, and origin traceability. If those facts are missing, a high price may be packaging or story-driven rather than tea-driven.

When should I buy Keemun for the best price?

For standard Congou and Mao Feng, the best balance of freshness and price is usually after the spring flush, from May through July, when supply is broad and factories can blend to target. Early-spring micro-lots are best contracted before or during the April flush and are rarely cheaper later.

How can I tell if a Keemun quote is realistic?

Check the grade name, harvest year, lot number, moisture spec, and whether the supplier offers a sample. A quote that cannot be matched to one of those details is not comparable to another supplier’s offer.

References

[1] FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea. World Tea Production and Trade: Current and Future Prospects. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2024.

[2] China Tea Marketing Association. 2024 China Tea Industry Report and Wholesale Buyer Briefs. CTMA, 2025.

[3] Qimen County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Qimen Black Tea Industry Development and Production Calendar Notes. 2025.

[4] ISO 3720:2011. Black tea — Definition and basic requirements. International Organization for Standardization, 2011.

[5] Anhui Provincial Administration for Market Regulation. Geographical Indication Product: Qimen Black Tea, latest local standard edition.

[6] United States International Trade Commission. HTS 0902.30: Black tea (fermented) and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3 kg. Accessed 2026.