Oolong
Oolong is partially oxidised tea from Camellia sinensis. After plucking, the leaf is withered in sun and shade and then repeatedly shaken or tumbled to bruise the leaf edges, which starts oxidation at the rim while the centre stays green. Oxidation is halted by firing when the maker judges it has gone far enough, and the leaf is then rolled, dried and in many styles roasted. Because the maker chooses where to stop, oolong covers a very wide band, from lightly oxidised green rolled teas that drink close to a green tea, to heavily oxidised and roasted strip teas that drink close to a black tea. The main production centres are Fujian and Guangdong in China and the mountain districts of Taiwan, with Vietnam and Thailand supplying volume. Oolong is sold loose by cultivar, district, oxidation band and roast level, and is also the raw material for bottled and canned tea drinks across East Asia.
Listed oolong markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Oolong is graded on oxidation percentage, leaf form, roast level, cultivar and district, together with the chemical requirements applying to partially oxidised tea.
Oxidation band
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Light oxidationApproximately 10 to 25 per cent | Green, floral and creamy. The band used for most Taiwanese high mountain and Anxi tieguanyin production. |
| Medium oxidationApproximately 25 to 50 per cent | Fuller and fruitier, with the leaf edge visibly reddened. The traditional Dong Ding and Wuyi band. |
| Heavy oxidationApproximately 50 to 80 per cent | Dark, stone fruit and honeyed. Used for Oriental Beauty and for heavily worked Phoenix material. |
| Oxidation determinationPercentage | Assessed by the maker during manufacture and declared on the contract. The buyer verifies it on the dry leaf and the infused leaf. |
Leaf form and roast
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ball rolledSemi ball or granule form | Leaf cloth wrapped and rolled repeatedly into a tight sphere. The Taiwanese and Anxi form. |
| Strip formOpen twisted leaf | Leaf rolled into long open twists. The Wuyi and Phoenix Dancong form. |
| UnroastedGreen or qing xiang | Dried only, with no post manufacture roasting. Retains floral character. |
| Light roastLow temperature, short duration | Roasted briefly at low temperature. The contract states the temperature and the hours. |
| Medium roastTraditional roast | Repeated charcoal or electric roasting cycles, stated as number of cycles and hours. |
| Heavy roastNong xiang | Extended roasting producing a dark leaf and a caramelised, mineral character. |
| Roast fuelCharcoal or electric | Declared, as charcoal roasting is a distinct and separately priced process. |
| Aged and re roastedYears and roast cycles | Some oolong is stored and periodically re roasted. The contract states the manufacture year and the roast history. |
Cultivar and district
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| CultivarNamed variety | Qingxin, Jinxuan, Cuiyu, Siji Chun, Tieguanyin, Shuixian, Rougui, Dahongpao and the Dancong varietals. Declared by name on the contract. |
| DistrictNamed production area | Alishan, Lishan, Shanlinxi, Dong Ding and Dongshan in Taiwan; Anxi, Wuyishan and Fenghuang in China. Declared by name. |
| ElevationMetres above sea level | Stated as a figure. Higher elevation slows growth and is priced accordingly. |
| Plucking roundSeason | Spring, summer, autumn or winter plucking, with the date. Spring and winter carry the premium in Taiwan. |
| Hand plucked or machine harvestedHarvest method | Declared, as it governs shoot uniformity. |
| Origin verificationDocumentary | Where the contract names a Taiwanese district, the lot ships with origin documentation, because blending of imported leaf into district named product is the known risk in this trade. |
Physical and chemical requirements
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Water extractPercentage by mass | The proportion of the dry leaf soluble in boiling water, the working measure of strength and of whether spent leaf has been blended in. |
| Total ashPercentage by mass | Mineral residue after incineration. |
| Acid insoluble ashPercentage by mass | Effectively sand and soil. |
| Crude fibrePercentage by mass | A measure of stalk and coarse material in the plucked shoot. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined on the delivered lot. Ball rolled oolong is dense and holds moisture, so the ceiling is set low and checked on arrival. |
| Stem contentPercentage by mass | Stem left in after sorting. Ball rolled grades are sorted to a stated maximum. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against the destination market maximum residue limits. Certificate of analysis travels with the lot. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | East Asia | Origin |
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| Hong Kong | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Russia | Europe | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Destination |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Nepal | South Asia | Origin |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Apr to Dec, arrival Jun to FebSpring plucking from April to May and winter plucking from October to December carry the premium. High mountain gardens run later in spring than lowland. | |
| China | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jun to JanAnxi tieguanyin plucks in spring from April and autumn from September. Wuyi rock oolong plucks in May and is roasted over the following months, so shipment runs later. | ||
| Vietnam | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to JanLam Dong and the northern highlands pluck from March through November. | |
| Thailand | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Nov, arrival May to JanChiang Rai and Mae Salong pluck in spring and again in late autumn. | |||
| Nepal | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jul to JanIlam and Dhankuta oolong manufacture follows the flush calendar from April to October. | ||
| India | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Oct, arrival Jul to JanDarjeeling and the Nilgiris manufacture oolong alongside black tea from April. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for oolong. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0902.30 Partly fermented tea, immediate packings of 3 kg or less
0902.40 Partly fermented tea, other - PackingTea in foil lined paper sacks, plywood chests or corrugated cartons of 20 kg to 60 kg. Green coffee in 60 kg or 69 kg jute bags, or 1 t bulk container liners with GrainPro or equivalent barrier for specialty lots. Cocoa in 62.5 kg or 65 kg jute bags.
- Container loading20ft: 18 t to 21 t bagged. 40ft: 24 t to 26 t with a bulk liner. Coffee and cocoa are weight limited, tea is volume limited.
- Contract and arbitrationCoffee on the European Coffee Contract or GCA terms with ICE Futures US as the price reference, arbitration under ECF or GCA rules. Cocoa on Federation of Cocoa Commerce or CMAA contracts with FCC arbitration in London. Tea on the rules of the selling auction centre or on the terms of the importing association.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, where anthraquinone and glyphosate are the recurring tea failures. Ochratoxin A and aflatoxin limits and cadmium limits on cocoa under Regulation 2023/915. EUDR (Regulation 2023/1115) due diligence with plot geolocation applies to cocoa and coffee. US FDA import alerts apply to pesticide residues and to mould.
Common questions
What grades of oolong does SIP Global trade?
We quote 25 published grades of oolong, including Light oxidation - Approximately 10 to 25 per cent, Medium oxidation - Approximately 25 to 50 per cent, Heavy oxidation - Approximately 50 to 80 per cent, Oxidation determination - Percentage, Ball rolled - Semi ball or granule form and Strip form - Open twisted leaf. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is oolong graded?
Oolong is graded on oxidation percentage, leaf form, roast level, cultivar and district, together with the chemical requirements applying to partially oxidised tea. Grading runs on 4 systems: Oxidation band, Leaf form and roast, Cultivar and district and Physical and chemical requirements.
Where does SIP Global trade oolong?
We trade oolong in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore and 14 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is oolong harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Taiwan: harvest apr to dec, arrival jun to feb; China: harvest apr to oct, arrival jun to jan; Vietnam: harvest mar to nov, arrival may to jan; Thailand: harvest mar to nov, arrival may to jan; Nepal: harvest apr to oct, arrival jul to jan. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for oolong?
Oolong is normally classified under HS 0902.30 (partly fermented tea, immediate packings of 3 kg or less) and HS 0902.40 (partly fermented tea, other). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for oolong?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed oolong market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.