Tazo

Starbucks' fiscal 2017 10-K records the sale of the Tazo brand, recipes and intellectual property to Unilever for $384 million, and Unilever's 2022 Form 20-F records the sale of 100 percent of ekaterra, its tea business including the Tazo brand, to CVC Capital Partners on 1 July 2022 for 4,594 million euros. The Canadian importer's 2025 Fighting Against Forced Labour report names it as Lipton Teas and Infusions Canada Inc., an Ontario corporation wholly owned through Lipton Group Holdings B.V. by Lipton Teas and Infusions B.V. of the Netherlands, so profit flows to the Dutch parent and its private equity owner, CVC, in the EU bucket. Corporations Canada returns no federal record for Lipton Teas and Infusions, consistent with the Ontario incorporation; the Ontario Business Registry could not be checked.

• Document filing “On November 2, 2017, we entered into an agreement to sell assets associated with our Tazo brand including Tazo signature recipes, intellectual property and inventory to Unilever for a total of $384.0 million”
• ul-20221231 filing “On 1 July 2022, Unilever sold ekaterra, to CVC Capital Partners for € 4,594 million cash consideration. The transaction involved the sale of 100 % shares of ekaterra Holdings B.V.”
• 2025 Report under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act filing “Lipton Canada is incorporated under the Ontario Business Corporations Act and is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Lipton Group Holdings B.V. and an indirect subsidiary of Lipton Teas and Infusions B.V., a private company headquartered in The Netherlands”
• Shareholder vendor_statement “On July 1, 2022, CVC completed the acquisition of Unilever's tea business, LIPTON Teas and Infusions (formerly ekaterra), as part of its long-term strategic investment plan.”
• TAZO vendor_statement “After travelling the world in the 1990s, Steven Smith, TAZO's founder decided to bring flavors from different cultures and communities together under one roof.”
• Search for a Federal Corporation - Online Filing Centre - Corporations Canada - Corporations - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada registry “Corporate name: Lipton Teas and Infusions 0 results were found, 0 returned.”

The brand's own FAQ says Tazo teas are blended in the USA and packed in the USA and Canada, and the Canadian importer's forced labour report says every product it sells is imported from related parties in North America, Europe and the Middle East, so any Canadian packing is done by a contractor rather than by Lipton Canada, which has no plant. The split is an estimate: blending, the main step, is American, some packing is Canadian, and a small share of the range may come from European group factories. No facility or per-line volume was published.

• Frequently Asked Questions | TAZO® Tea | TAZO vendor_statement “TAZO® teas are blended in the USA, packed in USA & Canada.”
• 2025 Report under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act filing “The Products are imported by Lipton Canada from related parties located in the North America, Europe and the Middle East.”

Lipton Teas and Infusions Canada Inc. has about nine employees working remotely in Ontario and Quebec, per its forced labour report, and the group is headquartered in Amsterdam, per the privacy notice the Tazo Canada site links to. Tazo itself is an American brand run from the United States, where its blending happens; Wikipedia places the division in Kent, Washington. The split is an estimate weighted to the US brand and production staff, then the Dutch parent, then the small Canadian sales team.

• 2025 Report under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act filing “Lipton Canada has a small team of approximately 9 employees working remotely in Ontario and Quebec.”
• Privacy Notice vendor_statement “Eduard van Beinumstraat 18 2Amsterdam, 7th Floor 1077 CZ AMSTERDAM The Netherlands”
• Tazo - Wikipedia press “It is now a Lipton Teas and Infusions division and is based in Kent, Washington.”

The brand says it buys single-estate tea from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and China, and the Canadian importer's forced labour report names suppliers in Kenya, India, Rwanda and Tanzania. Chai spices and botanicals are also tropical imports. The US and Canadian shares are an estimate for packaging, sweeteners and dairy-free bases in the concentrates, which are not disclosed.

• Frequently Asked Questions | TAZO® Tea | TAZO vendor_statement “TAZO® sources tea from tea gardens located in the premiere producing countries of the world, such as India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and China.”
• 2025 Report under the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act filing “The LIPTON Teas and Infusions global supply chain used to manufacture the Products imported into Canada includes suppliers located in Kenya, India, Rwanda and Tanzania.”