Brewing New Export Opportunities in the International Tea Market

Tribal Tea Co. is a naturally sourced holistic tea blend company owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. When Adam Bowen, Director, and Molly Roe, Account and Brand Manager, were eager to explore and expand into new markets, they reached out to the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) and its Rural Export Center (REC). They had a gut feeling of where their product could be successful, but they knew they needed data to back up this instinct. Enter the USCS and its Rural Export Center. In the fall of 2022, the USCS and the REC met with Adam and Molly to discuss market entry assistance available through the U.S. Commercial Service. Molly Roe highlighted Tribal Tea’s products and ideal markets so that the REC could develop a custom market research proposal for the company. After reviewing potential market indicators, Sweetgrass Trading Co. decided to conduct a Matrix + 3 Country Report. The customized Matrix, a tool devised to rank all the countries of the world with Sweetgrass Trading Co.’s chosen data indicators, analyzed relevant information along with their own market knowledge to select 6 countries where they wanted further on-the-ground information. Based on the results of the Matrix and the feedback from in-country Commercial Specialists, they chose Canada, Germany, and New Zealand for further research.

Tribal Tea Company received 3 RAISE Country Reports which included approximately 10 potential partners per country, an overview of trends in Indigenous Peoples cultural awareness and the tea industry in each country, a list of relevant trade shows, and recommendations for the best next steps and potential action items.

“The RAISE Matrix has helped Tribal Tea Company identify markets across the world that we otherwise would not have been able to tap into,” said Molly Roe, Account and Brand Manager of Tribal Tea Company. “The Rural Export Center’s research has created new opportunities for our business and will help guide our future export decision-making efforts. It has been exciting to learn about the top countries for Tribal Tea to partner with and how we can be part of those markets.”

In addition to the Matrix and 3 Country Reports, Adam and Molly were also interested in connecting with experienced international exporting companies who could help them enter markets faster. The Rural Export Center recommended its new service, the Export Management Company (EMC) Directory, which is a list of potential export management companies. An EMC can allow Adam and Molly to focus on the US market while the EMC develops their international business.

Finally, Tribal Tea Co. wanted to optimize its website for international visitors. The Rural Export Center along with the eCommerce Innovation Lab conducted a thorough review of the company’s website including two crawler reports and one internationalization analysis of the site.

The USCS Rural Export Center continues to provide comprehensive market research for rural Nebraskan companies supporting the U.S. Commercial Service office in Nebraska. Tribal Tea’s project received support from a Small Business Administration (SBA) STEP Grant through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.