Iraq shocks Lanka with contaminated Ceylon Tea from Baghdad markets

In a new twist to the ongoing ‘Ceylon Tea adulteration’ saga, Baghdad has requested Colombo to clamp down on illegal refuse exiting as ‘tea’ to the Middle Eastern borders from Sri Lanka “in a more stringent manner”. Bilateral moves to curb illegal practices are also in the offing.

“This is not a political issue between Sri Lanka and Iraq, but concerns the implementation of a testing standard. Unlike political agreements, these standards cannot be waived,” declared Dr. Sabah Azeez Hasan, Deputy Director General, Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology, on 16 May in Colombo.

Dr. Sabah, who was in town leading the special Iraqi Tea Sector Official Delegation to Sri Lanka, was addressing Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen at the Ministry premises. Also present during the sessions along with Minister Bathiudeen were his top officials and officials of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Customs, EDB and Department of Commerce.

The delegation consisted of Zainab Lateef (Director, Iraqi Automated Analysis Division), Ms ateefa Mourad (Chairman, Chemistry Division of Iraqi Food Industry Department), Salim Adid Ali (Biologist, Food Industry Department) and Nagham Dhafir (Biologist, Iraqi Standards Division), among others.

According to the EDB, when it comes to marketwise distribution of Ceylon Tex exported in 2012, Iraq ranked at fifth place in 2012 with $ 82.95 m of tea imported from Sri Lanka. Though Iraq ranks fifth, when it comes to total usage, Iraq ranks as the leading Ceylon Tea consuming country in the world, with more than 70% tea consumed in Iraq originating from Sri Lanka, making it a prime target for illegal tea mixing cartels operating in the Middle East region.

In the 2008-2012 period, Sri Lanka’s topmost export product to Iraq was also tea – in fact, in the same period, the topmost export to the Middle East from Sri Lanka too was Ceylon Tea, taking 59% of all exports to Middle East, followed by apparels and other products.

In August 2011, in Colombo, top Lankan tea industry representatives urged Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to “save the Sri Lankan tea industry from the serious threats of an ‘organised mafia,’ which replaces Ceylon Tea with low quality substitutes in bulk form”.

“We also visited and inspected several tea manufacturing factories and plantations in Sri Lanka. We saw the waste (refuse) in these factories. Even during your tea manufacture, there is dust and big tea shreds (scraps) mixing. Therefore I think there is a problem with Sri Lanka’s tea. We do not like to see these things since we Iraqis love Pure Ceylon Tea and have been using it for decades!” said Dr Sabah, shocking Minister Bathiudeen and his officials as his own delegation watched anxiously.

He added: “We would like to demand that the following measures be implemented on the Sri Lankan side. Firstly, your current proper tea exports packaging is unsatisfactory, in that it is not adequate. We want the bulk tea shipments to Iraq from Sri Lanka well-packaged and wrapped with stamping. We suggest you seal a 3D hologram on all tea packs above 10 kgs. Secondly, we want a product certification from the Tea Board. Thirdly, we don’t want tea going to Iraq to go in open bags or packaging but want them to go in sealed containers. We want you to waterproof seal the tea containers at the port itself. Each container could be inspected by Iraqi representatives right here at the Colombo Port prior to sealing.

“We also want Sri Lanka Government labs to test the teas before they are packed rather than private sector lab tests. In fact, it would be better that not only Ceylon Tea but even other Lankan products heading to Iraq to be tested in a Government lab prior to despatch. The Government lab report then could be sent to Bureau Veritas, the testing agency enlisted by Iraq.”

“The Tea Board needs to approve all teas exported from Colombo and shipped as ‘Ceylon Teas’ with its own certificate, which we can trust. It has been found that Lankan tea refuse, unfit for consumption, is exported under product names other than ‘tea,’ then off loaded while in transit, mixed with approved bulk Ceylon Tea shipments, re-packaged as ‘Pure Ceylon Tea’ and then sold in Iraqi markets, thereby tarnishing your global brand. Let me say it again that that we as Iraqis love Pure Ceylon Tea!” he added.

The delegation then produced various tea samples directly collected from the Iraqi marketplace to Minister Bathiudeen and his top officials.

“This is shocking. We did not know these refuse shreds are branded and sold as Pure Ceylon Tea in Baghdad. Then it’s also possible that this is taking place in other Middle Eastern countries as well. We will immediately start stakeholder dialogues and find ways to secure outgoing bulk shipments from Colombo,” Minister Bathiudeen said.

“Whatever the teas exiting Colombo Port labelled as Ceylon Tea are compulsorily examined by the Tea Board and their certification is required for export. Therefore, the various refuses and shreds of tea exiting Sri Lanka are not documented as ‘yea’ but are exported under some other product line (HS Code).We need to identify such refuse exports and block them and then blacklist the exporters, whoever they are,” he added.

Dr. Sabah also revealed the identities of the top two Iraqi brands that sell tea refuse labelled as ‘Pure Ceylon Tea’. “We have identified the two top brands in Iraqi markets that give Ceylon Tea brand a bad reputation. We are planning to blacklist these two brand names I have revealed just now and take action,” Dr. Sabah stressed.

Both Minister Bathiudeen and the Iraqi delegation also mutually agreed that there is an urgent need for a bilateral initiative to curb activities against the Pure Ceylon Tea brand and additional steps are in order.