Tea · importers
Japan reports $2.2B in the chapter that holds tea, coffee, mate and spices, seventh in the world, and it is a country with its own strong green-tea culture.
| Market | HS 09 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $11.7B |
| Germany | $6.5B |
| France | $4.0B |
| Italy | $3.4B |
| Canada | $2.4B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 09 (coffee, tea, mate and spices); tea is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Japan grows and drinks a great deal of its own green tea, so imported tea serves particular needs: black tea, blends and ingredients for ready-to-drink bottled drinks, and speciality teas from abroad. The chapter also holds coffee, and the value is 3.3% of reported world imports, tied with Spain and the United Kingdom. It is 0.3% of Japan’s $742.7B imports and ranks 43rd among import chapters.
Japan has a large market for bottled and canned tea drinks and for tea-flavoured foods and sweets, so manufacturers buy tea and tea extracts as ingredients. They value precise specification, consistent flavour and clean supply. Importers of speciality black and herbal teas serve a separate, smaller retail trade.
Ask whether the buyer is a beverage maker, an ingredient supplier or a retailer of speciality teas. Buyers of ingredient teas may also request analysis of extractable content or particle size, so ask what technical data they need alongside standard quality documents.
Japan applies its own residue limits and inspection procedures to imported food, and they are set by the authorities and can change. Confirm the current rules with them and with your buyer before shipping. China, the USA, Australia and the United Arab Emirates lead Japan’s overall source list, which covers all goods.
Shipment records for the tea heading show receivers and weights, apart from coffee and spices.
Records of tea shipments name each receiver and weight. Make a shortlist, agree Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and start contact through this site’s free marketplace.
To supply black tea, blends and ingredients for drinks and foods that domestic green tea does not cover.
The whole coffee, tea, mate and spices chapter, 3.3% of reported world imports.
Precise specification, consistent flavour and clean supply.
Review tea shipment records and rank receivers by weight.
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