On the morning of May 16, 87 tea merchants from home and aboard including Boharrington, General Manager of RuiLisi India Co., Ltd, Edward Xie, Chairman of the U.S. Rockies Company and Liu Yaoming, General Manager of Shanghai Heping Tea City, signed sales contracts totaled 2.59 billion RMB with the tea enterprises in Yiling District. So far, remarkable economical achievements have been made in the Fourth China Three Gorges Tea Culture Arts Festival. (Reporter Li Yulin, Correspondent He Ying, Yuan Haochun)

　　As contracted, 49,783 tons of tea has been sold in total, of which 47,279 tons are green tea, 1,944 tons are black tea, 234 tons are tea drinks, 61 tons are tea food and 265 tons are other kinds of tea. From the perspective of capital source, 4,342.8 tons were signed with foreign merchants, with an amount of 530 million RMB; 1,140 tons were signed with supermarkets, with an amount of 238 million RMB; and 80 tons were signed with electricity suppliers, with an amount of 20 million RMB.

　　At the Trade Fair of Tea Culture Arts Festival on May 16, Xiaoshi Tea Group, Dengcun Green Tea Group, Longxia Tea Industry Group, and Hubei Xiushuitianxiang Tea Co., Ltd all introduced their products separately. Tian Jing, Chairman of Beijing National Tea Shop Network Co., Ltd, and Edward Xie, Chairman of the U.S. Rockies Company delivered speeches and exchanged experience together with Xiaoshi Tea Group and Dengcun Green Tea Group.

　　Edward Xie, Executive Director of the Tea Association of the USA spoke in English, “The Yiling District in Three Gorges area is proved to be the hometown of tea as a place enveloped with clouds, mists and abundant rainfall. The natural geographical advantages also gave birth to some well-known tea enterprises like Dengcun Green Tea Group. Our company has established a long-term cooperative relationship with Hubei Dengcun Green Tea Group, and we will strive to reach 200 million RMB as the total amount of tea exports this year to push Yichang tea to the international market.” After the translation of his speech, all merchants at the meeting agreed with him with a warm applause.

　　Wang Qing, Executive Vice President of China Tea Circulation Association said that, according to the result of this Trade Fair and the signing, the tea industry in Yiling District and Yichang City started to enter the overseas markets as a whole chain, which would accelerate intensive development of the tea industry in Three Gorges area. He also hopes that the marketing channels could be strengthened continually, and the share of the electricity supplier and exports could be expanded to push the tea development in Three Gorges area to the international market.