According to the Guizhou Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Guizhou has exported 2,382 tons of local tea this year, generating approximately $71.64 million, local media reported on Nov 30.

In 2013, the export of Guizhou tea was 38 tons. The export volume has increased by a factor of 63 over the past four years.

Guizhou tea has so far been exported to some western countries including the US, Germany and Belgium where it is noted for its high quality.

Even though the planting area of tea in Guizhou is large, the province’s tea exports only account for one percent of the nation’s total, which means Guizhou tea has great remaining market potential, according to Lei Pingshun, a bureau official.

The province plans to expand the tea planting area to more than seven million mu (466,667 hectares) by the end of 2020 and to produce 400,000 tons of tea leaves each year, which will make tea a pillar industry in Guizhou.