The development of Zhejiang Chunmee tea and Gunpowder tea's export industry has not only made Zhejiang tea famous worldwide, but has also become a key engine for increasing income in mountainous areas, narrowing the "three major gaps," and promoting common prosperity.
In Shengzhou City, the industrial chain of Chunmee tea and Gunpowder tea has been deeply embedded in the rural fabric. In 2025, relying on tea export enterprises, Shengzhou City established stable order-based cooperative relationships with 3,772 tea farmers in townships such as Shihuang and Changle. In the same year, the enterprises purchased more than 18 million kilograms of fresh tea leaves, paying more than 38.85 million yuan for them, which boosted the average income of cooperative farmers by more than 10,000 yuan per household. The purchase price of fresh tea leaves increased by 20% year-on-year, achieving a win-win situation for all parties: increased income for farmers, increased efficiency for enterprises, and industrial upgrading.
To promote the high-quality development of Zhejiang tea exports, in 2025, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with Hangzhou Customs and Ningbo Customs, issued "Ten Opinions on Supporting Zhejiang Tea's Exports," clearly aiming to transform Zhejiang tea from simply "going global" to "going in and going upmarket." Today, improving the quality and efficiency of the entire industrial chain and reshaping global competitive advantages have become the common pursuit of Zhejiang's tea industry. In villages across Zhejiang, tea gardens have become "prosperity gardens" for villagers, and the smiles on tea farmers' faces are the most authentic and heartwarming testament to the high-quality development of Zhejiang's tea industry.
"In the future, Zhejiang will continue to cultivate the Chunmee tea and Gunpowder tea export industry, continuously promote variety improvement, quality enhancement, brand building, and standardized production, so that Zhejiang tea can sail to a broader global market. In the journey of a tea leaf crossing the ocean and its fragrance spreading around the world, the development achievements of the tea industry can benefit thousands of households," said a relevant official from the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
