早期祁门红茶外销市场述论

Introduction to Export Market of Qimen Black Tea in Early Periods

祁门红茶问世后,早期外销趋势起伏跌宕,其中清末雄起,民国中期低迷,抗战前夕再兴,1941年后急转直下衰落。同时手续复杂,需经收购、改装、检验、押汇、付费等5个环节;商家重叠繁复,有茶号、茶栈、茶行、洋行等多层关口,层层盘剥。在这样的背景下,祁门红茶仍取得驰名世界的声誉,可见其潜在优势尤其巨大。

Since the emergence of Qimen black tea, the trend of early export sales fluctuated several times, with rise in the late Qing Dynasty, downturn in the mid-term of the Republic of China, resurgence on the eve of the Anti-Japanese War, and a rapid decline after 1941. At the same time, the procedures were complicated, which needed to be purchased, modified, inspected, negotiated, paid, etc. There were tea factories, tea-houses, tea associations, foreign firms, and other multi-level passes that practiced usury layer by layer. In such a background, Qimen black tea still obtained the world famous reputation, showing its huge potential advantage.