Coffee and Tea Industry Overview

The Canadian tea and coffee industry falls under the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code 31192.  This category includes organizations engaged in manufacturing a wide variety of coffee and tea products and ingredients, including instant coffee, coffee and tea extracts, and herbal tea, among others.  

2011 Plantation Estate Coffee

Although the Canadian climate is not conducive to producing large-scale coffee or tea crops, a significant number of Canadian companies import these raw materials, which are then processed and distributed in Canada or exported.   

Tea and coffee are believed to have been brought to Canada by Europeans in the 17th century, and coffee and tea manufacture has been an important component of the Canadian food and beverage industry for many years.  In Canada, the tea and coffee industry collectively produces about $917 million worth of products yearly and employs 2240 people in 112 establishments (Industry Canada, 2010).  

The coffee and tea industry is essential to the Canadian market. Canadians drink over 14 billion cups of coffee each year, and first enjoyed tea when it was imported by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1716. Today, tea and coffee are the second and third most popular beverages in Canada, respectively, after water.  Altogether, Canadians drink more than 20 billion cups of tea and coffee each year (Agriculture Canada, 2010).