War in the Middle East is pushing up the price of a cup of tea.
Data firm Trading Economics found a 34.5% increase in tea trading prices over the past month, with these costs now being passed on to the consumer. The Office for National Statistics reports that last month an average box of 80 tea bags was £2.63, up 7% on the £2.46 it cost in March last year.
Some firms have put prices up much more, with trade magazine The Grocer saying one brand’s herbal tea was up 52%. Prices are rising due to inflation and economic uncertainty but also the conflict in Gaza.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels began targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea after Hamas’s October 7 massacre sparked Israel ’s war in Gaza. There were 60 armed attacks from November to March, causing many container ships’ routes to be altered. Marco Forgione, Director General of the Institute of Export and International Trade, said ahead of National Tea Day tomorrow: “The tranquillity of our tea supply and demand has been disrupted by recent upheavals, which has resulted in a surge in prices.”