In a move that shakes up the yerba mate market, India has finally approved the commercial import of Argentine yerba mate. The announcement, confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture and Production of Misiones, Facundo López Sartori, puts an end to years of bureaucratic hurdles and sky-high tariffs that made selling the product in the Asian giant practically impossible.
The decision by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) incorporates yerba mate into the Indian Food Code, a change that businessmen describe as historic. «This is not about trial shipments, but a commercial authorization that allows regular import operations to be developed,» explained López Sartori. The official highlighted that several companies, including Playadito, Piporé, Las Marías, Primicia, and Klimiuk Infusiones, are already preparing the first shipments to supply Indian importers.
Until now, any Indian buyer wanting yerba mate had to submit a special request, as the product was considered «exotic.» This meant tariffs exceeding 130% and procedures that could take months, even for shipments of a few kilos. «With this incorporation, the process changes completely. Now it is enough to have a commercial contact between the Argentine company and the importer in India, and a tariff of around 30% is paid,» detailed Yonathan Klimiuk, manager of Klimiuk Infusiones.
The businessman described the measure as a «historic event» and revealed that his firm is already working with two companies it met during a trade mission. «We are preparing low-volume shipments, but it is a great opportunity,» he summarized.
However, not all previous attempts were successful. Piporé, a pioneer in the Indian market, had to close its agency in Delhi a year and a half ago. «Unfortunately, yerba mate was entering at a very high cost. Maintaining the agency became more expensive than the returns from sales,» confessed Raúl Karaben, partner at Piporé. Still, the businessman expressed hope: «If yerba mate can enter at affordable prices, we would clearly have an opportunity.»
The Minister of Industry, Labor, and Commerce of Corrientes, Mariel Gabur, recalled that the province has been working on this goal since last year, when an official visit led by then-Governor Gustavo Valdés presented yerba mate as a marketable product. «What we sought was to remove yerba mate from the category of traditional teas, since it is a different product,» she explained.
To facilitate acceptance in a country unfamiliar with traditional mate and bombilla consumption, Las Marías developed blends for tea-style drinking. «It would be a friendly way to reach the Indian market,» said Gabur, who highlighted that local industries have the capacity to produce tea bags and even soluble products.
The opening of the Indian market comes at a critical time for the yerba mate sector, hit by overproduction. «We cannot keep fighting forever for 50 million Argentines who consume yerba mate and represent about 90% of consumption. Today the domestic market is saturated,» warned Gabur. With this new horizon, yerba mate companies are betting that India will become a key destination to alleviate the crisis.
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