Halal: A Potential Market for Phu Tho Tea

The Halal market represents a significant opportunity for Vietnamese tea, requiring strict compliance with standards for origin, processing, and packaging. However, it offers immense potential for export to populous Muslim nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and those in the Middle East. The rising global demand for Halal food is driving the Vietnamese tea industry to enhance quality, increase added value, and further integrate into international markets.

Tea products from Hoai Trung Tea Co., Ltd (Chi Tien Commune) – an enterprise with years of experience in tea exports, including the Halal market.

Phu Tho currently manages a total tea area of 14,500 hectares, concentrated in the Phu Tho and former Hoa Binh regions. Numerous enterprises, craft villages, and cooperatives participate in tea production and processing. To date, 38 tea products have achieved OCOP standards (19 three-star, 17 four-star, and 2 five-star products). Most enterprises primarily invest in black tea processing using OTD and CTC technologies, exporting mainly to traditional markets like Taiwan, Russia, the Middle East, China, and Pakistan.

Halal certification is a comprehensive management system covering everything from raw materials and production to packaging and logistics. Tea must be grown in a clean environment without harmful chemicals; the processing must be free from impurities and additives; and production lines must ensure hygiene, separated from non-compliant products. This is a prerequisite for accessing the Halal market while enhancing product value and brand reputation.

Developing standardized raw material areas is the first step toward the Halal market.

At the Conference on Tea Development Solutions toward 2030, Mr. Dang Viet Phương, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, noted: "Many Muslim countries have a strong tea-drinking culture (primarily black tea), making the Halal market a “new door” to expand exports and increase the value chain for Phu Tho tea." Halal standards primarily require that products contain no prohibited impurities or non-compliant animal-derived additives, avoid cross-contamination during processing, and are produced in strictly hygienic environments. Since tea is plant-based, it is less susceptible to being labeled “Haram” (prohibited) compared to animal products. Therefore, achieving Halal status is not overly complex but depends heavily on the discipline of production, packaging, and transportation processes.

Phu Tho has a long-standing tradition of tea cultivation and processing. The province currently focuses on applying technical measures and safety standards such as GlobalGAP, RA, VietGAP, and Organic. Annually, approximately 20% of the province’s processed tea is exported directly, while 80% is sold through domestic intermediaries.

Phu Tho is recognized as having a black tea processing system with some of the most modern production lines in the country. Black tea accounts for nearly 70% of the province’s total output. In 2025, the province’s tea export volume is estimated at over 60,000 tons.

Black tea production line for export at Hoai Trung Tea Co., Ltd.

Also at the aforementioned conference, delegates noted that for Vietnamese tea to become a reputable Halal product in the region, synchronized coordination is required between the State, enterprises, and farmers. First and foremost, the State needs to establish a national Halal standard system that is harmonized with international standards to help businesses access the market more easily. Domestic Halal certification centers also need to be strengthened to reduce costs and administrative procedures for enterprises.

For enterprises, investing in clean processing lines, modern preservation technology, and traceability management is the key. Instead of merely selling low-priced raw tea materials, Vietnam can develop high-value-added product lines such as Halal tea bags, instant tea, and herbal tea blends, targeting the younger demographic within the Muslim community.

Phan Cuong