Tea Imports to Britain Undergo Disruption Amid Red Sea Route Delays

A man poses making a cup of tea with a Yorkshire Tea teabag with a box of tea in the background arranged as an illustration in London on Dec. 19, 2018. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Tea lovers in Britain may struggle to find their favourite drink on supermarket shelves, amid reports that shipments have been affected by the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The international transport of goods in the Rea Sea has been distabilised by the ongoing unrest that follows three months of unprecedented attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the region.

The government reported that as a direct result of Houthi attacks, 20 percent of the world’s container ships are already using the much longer route around the southern tip of Africa instead.

Tea drinkers in the UK may bear the brunt of the unrest in the Red Sea, with Sainsbury’s confirming it is “an industry wide issue.”

According to The Times of London, the supermarket displayed a sign in one of its stores that read: “We are experiencing supply issues affecting the nationwide supply of black tea. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to be back in full supply soon.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to Sainsbury’s for confirmation.

The director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, Andrew Opie, said that the disruption is “temporary.”

“There is temporary disruption to some black tea lines, but the impact on consumers will be minimal as retailers are not expecting significant challenges,” said Mr. Opie.

Tea tops the list of the most popular beverages in the UK, according to a YouGov survey for the last quarter of 2023.

The UK is among the top five global importers of tea, accounting for 5.4 percent of total global imports and $356.1 million in value. The Institute of Export and International Trade (IEIT) listed China, Kenya, Sri Lanka, India, and Poland as the biggest five global exporters of tea in 2022.

In 2021, Britain’s tea imports came primarily from Kenya ($114 million) and India ($42.2 million). Almost 20 percent of UK imports pass through the Suez Canal maritime checkpoints, making the Red Sea route crucial in the supply chain.

An alternative shipping route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope can add up to 14 days to trip between Asia and Northern Europe, which usually takes 35 days. The delays on the routes to the Mediterranean can increase by 27 days, the Confederation of Business Industry (CBI) has warned.

The 1st of Many

IEIT Director General Marco Forgione told Reuters that tea may be “the first of many items caught up in this supply chain crisis.”

His comments echo that of Foreign Minister Lord Cameron, who has warned that if “the Houthis deny this passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe.”

Geopolitical tension was cited as a major source of concern for 85 percent of senior procurement leaders surveyed last year. Respondents said that global instability could affect their supply chains over the next three years.

The CBI, which represents 190,000 businesses, warned that a number of companies have already reported increased delivery times on expected shipments.

Among businesses affected by the disruption in the Red Sea are specialist chemicals firms, a machinery and equipment manufacturer, and a publishing firm, the CBI reported.

In response to “heightened geopolitical tensions,” the government introduced the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy in January. The new programme is meant to protect goods imported into the country, which are “critical to the UK security and prosperity.”

These range from semiconductors to medicines and cover critical elements of infrastructure, such as defence, emergency services, food, transport, energy, and digital technology.

Business minister Nusrat Ghani said that under the programme the government will launch a new Critical Imports Council. It will work with businesses in order to identify risks to the most sensitive imports.