Sri Lanka showcases Ceylon Tea excellence at Prodexpo 2026 in Russia
Daily FT: Sri Lanka made a strong and impactful presence at Prodexpo 2026, the largest international food and beverage exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe, reinforcing its position as a premier global supplier of high-quality Ceylon Tea.
A total of 14 Sri Lankan tea companies participated in the exhibition, with eight companies featured under the Sri Lanka National Pavilion for Ceylon Tea. The National Pavilion was sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tea Board, highlighting the country’s unified branding and strong commitment to promoting authentic Ceylon Tea in the Russian market.
The Sri Lanka Pavilion attracted significant attention from importers, distributors, retailers, and industry professionals throughout the exhibition. Visitors were offered a unique liquid tea tasting experience, featuring seven distinct regional teas of Sri Lanka, showcasing the diversity and richness of Ceylon Tea grown across different elevations and agro-climatic regions. The tasting sessions enabled buyers to experience the unique flavor profiles and quality standards that distinguish Sri Lanka’s tea in the global marketplace.
In parallel with the exhibition activities, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow organised a series of onsite B2B meetings, facilitating direct engagement between Sri Lankan exporters and Russian buyers. These structured interactions created valuable opportunities for trade expansion, brand partnerships, and long-term market collaboration.
Further strengthening commercial ties, Ambassador Shobini Gunasekera hosted a Business Networking Dinner at the Official Residence. The event brought together leading Russian importers, retail representatives, and Sri Lankan exhibitors, providing an exclusive platform to deepen business relationships and discuss new avenues for cooperation in the tea sector.
To enhance transparency and build confidence among Russian stakeholders, the Embassy also organised a factory visit for selected participants to understand the “Honest Mark” (digital product marking and traceability) printing process. The visit offered practical insights into compliance procedures and reinforced Sri Lanka’s commitment to quality assurance, traceability, and regulatory adherence in the Russian market.
Sri Lanka’s participation at Prodexpo 2026 successfully strengthened its brand presence, expanded trade engagement, and reaffirmed Ceylon Tea’s reputation for quality, authenticity, and sustainability in one of its most important export markets.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tea industry is on a growth path with local tea exports continuing to expand its foreign market while local authorities are working to ensure Sri Lankan tea regains the top slot in the international markets that was once enjoyed by Ceylon Tea. The many trade agreements and trade concessions enjoyed by the country with many foreign countries have also helped boost Sri Lanka’s tea exports. With the growth in local tea production and exports while promotional campaigns in foreign countries also attracting more markets for Sri Lankan tea, there’s an expansion in business/investment opportunities in the tea industry and related sectors. Given the increasing demands and requirements of foreign tea consumers, there’s an increasing need to add more value to the local tea exports while also working on diversifying the existing tea and tea-based export products portfolio, there are more lucrative ventures open for foreign businesses/investors in Sri Lanka’s tea industry and related sectors. Foreign businesses could also look at entering/expanding operations in Sri Lanka’s tea industry through partnerships or joint ventures with local businesses already engaged in the industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/202603013/Z_1 |