Despite the fact that negotiations are a core part of Chinese business practices, in the tea industry nobody worth their salt would ever ask for a lower price.

Despite the fact that negotiations are a core part of Chinese business practices, in the tea industry nobody worth their salt would ever ask for a lower price. The seller will always give you a lower price if you ask, but then also give you a lower grade product without telling you. The best you can do is get the right product at the right price. Negotiations have their place, but you also have to consider if this is the right place. In my small business I will give a small discount if somebody asks, but they get themselves added to the "don't bother helping them" category of customer.