Recently, a batch of De’ang sour tea weighing 55 kilograms and valued at RMB 97,000 was found to be compliant following on-site inspection by officers from the Mangshi Customs, which is affiliated with Kunming Customs. The product will then be shipped via Shenzhen to the Hong Kong market in China. This marks the first-ever export of De’ang sour tea.
De’ang sour tea is crafted using time-honored traditional techniques, originating with the De’ang ethnic group that has long called Yunnan’s Dehong Prefecture home. It boasts a distinctive flavor—bitter at first, followed by a sweet aftertaste—and has garnered growing attention and acclaim from consumers in recent years. In 2022, the “Art of Making De’ang Sour Tea,” as one of the sub‑elements under the “Traditional Chinese Tea‑Making Techniques and Associated Customs,” was successfully inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming another prominent cultural hallmark of Dehong Prefecture.
“De’ang sour tea is widely acclaimed for its distinctive flavor. To boost its visibility, we have participated in various trade fairs and deepened our collaboration with Yunnan Zhongcha Tea Industry Co., Ltd., thereby expanding our sales and export channels. Following the recent agreement on export intentions, Customs promptly provided us with advisory services and swiftly processed local inspection and cross‑location customs clearance, ensuring the smooth export of this batch of De’ang sour tea,” said Li Minglian, head of Mangshi Ecological Tea Co., Ltd.
To help more “Dehong Tea” products reach the global market, Mangshi Customs has been conducting regular field visits and surveys of key tea-exporting enterprises within its jurisdiction through initiatives such as the “Customs Director Brings Policies to Your Doorstep.” These efforts include promoting customs clearance facilitation measures and various preferential policies, gathering enterprise feedback, and promptly providing services to ensure the smooth export of tea.
In addition, Mangshi Customs has strengthened source‑level supervision, rigorously vetting the registration of tea‑exporting enterprises and the accreditation of cultivation bases, and established a “green channel” for on‑site inspection of exported agricultural and food products. It has continuously streamlined the business processes and coordination mechanisms linking local inspections with port clearance. Since 2021, Dehong Prefecture has facilitated the export of four varieties of tea, with cumulative trade value reaching RMB 184 million, thereby effectively boosting the region’s economic development.
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