about us
DELIVERING QUALITY FROM VIETNAMABOUT US
DELIVERING QUALITY FROM VIETNAM
With a focus on Vietnam,
Tonkin Trading was born out of a family business that has had dealings in Vietnam Tea since 1988.
Michael Whitlam, now with over fifty years experience in the tea industry, was the first western trader to forge links with the Vietnamese Tea Industry on an initial visit in 1989 following the government’s Ãoi Moi economic reforms.
His son, Giles moved to Hanoi in 1992 to assist with developing the business and was based there permanently until 1998 when he returned to London to set up Tonkin Trading Ltd.
Tonkin Trading has been pioneering in establishing quality control standards and introducing Vietnamese tea to the international market. Today 150,000 mt tons are exported to global markets and all types of packing and quality standards can be met.
Our tea business in Vietnam continues to evolve, now with our own black tea (CTC) factory to complement the tea trading we have been focusing on for over 30 years. Tea has been our core business for many years and although Vietnam remains our speciality we are sourcing tea from all origins for our customers.
“We have overseen many changes in the Vietnamese industry from a time where there was only 10,000 mt of black tea produced in the country, and when it exported breakbulk mainly to the Soviet Bloc countries.”
With a focus on Vietnam,
Tonkin Trading was born out of a family business that has had dealings in Vietnam Tea since 1988.
Michael Whitlam, now with over fifty years experience in the tea industry, was the first western trader to forge links with the Vietnamese Tea Industry on an initial visit in 1989 following the government’s Ãoi Moi economic reforms.
His son, Giles moved to Hanoi in 1992 to assist with developing the business and was based there permanently until 1998 when he returned to London to set up Tonkin Trading Ltd.
Tonkin Trading has been pioneering in establishing quality control standards and introducing Vietnamese tea to the international market. Today 150,000 mt tons are exported to global markets and all types of packing and quality standards can be met.
Our tea business in Vietnam continues to evolve, now with our own black tea (CTC) factory to complement the tea trading we have been focusing on for over 30 years. Tea has been our core business for many years and although Vietnam remains our speciality we are sourcing tea from all origins for our customers.
“We have overseen many changes in the Vietnamese industry from a time where there was only 10,000 mt of black tea produced in the country, and when it exported breakbulk mainly to the Soviet Bloc countries.”
Diversification came in 1994 when we set up our Representative office in Hanoi and began trading and sourcing other commodities. Predominantly rubber and cassia, but also coffee, pepper and handicrafts such as ceramic pots and incense sticks.
Our tea business in Vietnam continues to evolve, now with our own black tea (CTC) factory to complement the tea trading we have been focusing on for over 25 years. Tea has been our core business for many years and although Vietnam remains our speciality we are sourcing tea from all origins for our customers.
Diversification came in 1994 when we set up our Representative office in Hanoi and began trading and sourcing other commodities. Predominantly rubber and cassia, but also coffee, pepper and handicrafts such as ceramic pots and incense sticks.
Our tea business in Vietnam continues to evolve, now with our own black tea (CTC) factory to complement the tea trading we have been focusing on for over 25 years. Tea has been our core business for many years and although Vietnam remains our speciality we are sourcing tea from all origins for our customers.
meet the team
Professional profiles
Giles Whitlam
Giles Whitlam is Managing Director and owner of Tonkin Trading, and Tonkin Products. Having spent many years working in Vietnam, conversing and understanding the culture, Giles has developed an ongoing passion about the country and all it has to offer. He is now based in the UK but regularly visits Vietnam to continue to grow the business and explore opportunities working with the excellent teams in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices.
Giles lived in Hanoi from 1992-1998, to establish a tea development and export business under his family owned company TEA ESTATE AGENGIES LTD. This led to the opening of the Representative Office in Hanoi, in 1994.
Giles worked closely with producers and the Vietnamese tea industry in general and established new standards, quality control procedures, international bulk packing and palletisation – all for new markets. Giles then was able to source other agricultural products for export, such as Cassia, Rubber and Pepper. Additionally this led to sourcing ceramic and other handicrafts for export. Giles also found time to set up Hanoi’s first sandwich bar, ‘No Noodles’ and his restaurant ‘The Verandah’.
On returning to live in the UK, Giles set up Tonkin Trading Limited in London in 1999. He added a tea blending division in 2004 and a physical rubber trading division in 2007.
In 2001 Giles set up Tonkin Products, a Partnership with Martin van Zwaneneberg. The aim was to develop unique hand made, high quality food items for export. In 2012 Giles took on the ownership of a Tea factory in North Vietnam, which is now producing black leaf CTC Tea.
Richard Smethers
Richard has spent nearly his whole working life in the rubber market and will celebrate 40 years of involvement this October.
Giles Whitlam
Giles Whitlam is Managing Director and owner of Tonkin Trading, and Tonkin Products. Having spent many years working in Vietnam, conversing and understanding the culture, Giles has developed an ongoing passion about the country and all it has to offer. He is now based in the UK but regularly visits Vietnam to continue to grow the business and explore opportunities working with the excellent teams in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offices.
Giles lived in Hanoi from 1992-1998, to establish a tea development and export business under his family owned company TEA ESTATE AGENGIES LTD. This led to the opening of the Representative Office in Hanoi, in 1994.
Giles worked closely with producers and the Vietnamese tea industry in general and established new standards, quality control procedures, international bulk packing and palletisation – all for new markets. Giles then was able to source other agricultural products for export, such as Cassia, Rubber and Pepper. Additionally this led to sourcing ceramic and other handicrafts for export. Giles also found time to set up Hanoi’s first sandwich bar, ‘No Noodles’ and his restaurant ‘The Verandah’.
On returning to live in the UK, Giles set up Tonkin Trading Limited in London in 1999. He added a tea blending division in 2004 and a physical rubber trading division in 2007.
In 2001 Giles set up Tonkin Products, a Partnership with Martin van Zwaneneberg. The aim was to develop unique hand made, high quality food items for export. In 2012 Giles took on the ownership of a Tea factory in North Vietnam, which is now producing black leaf CTC Tea.
Richard Smethers
Richard has spent nearly his whole working life in the rubber market and will celebrate 40 years of involvement this October.
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