FUZHOU, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's tea output is estimated to reach 2.8 million tonnes in 2018, with the value of the whole industry chain topping 600 billion yuan (about 86.4 billion U.S. dollars), according to the China Tea Marketing Association (CTMA) Thursday.

The sales volume of tea within China will reach 2 million tonnes this year, the CTMA said at a tea industry forum held in the city of Wuyishan, east China's Fujian Province.

"The consumption of tea in China has been increasing steadily in recent years," said Wang Qing, president of the CTMA.

The country's tea export will exceed 300,000 tonnes this year.

Wuyishan, a major tea production base in China, is home to the well-known Wuyi rock tea, a type of oolong tea.