Among the strictest residue regimes of any major buyer, and with ASEAN a main destination for Fujian's tea exports.
- Rank by export value, 2025#8
- Volume from China11,192.4 t (+9.7%)
- ValueUSD 64.1 million
- Value ÷ volume≈ USD 5,725.4 / t
- Grades boughtOolong, Jasmine green, Organic green
- Regulatory referenceJapan's Positive List System for agricultural chemical residues, administered by the Consumer Affairs Agency (a uniform 0.01 mg/kg limit applies wherever no specific limit is set)
- RouteYokohama / Kobe
What do the numbers say about Japan?
Eighth among China's tea export destinations by value in 2025. Value divided by volume gives about USD 5,725.4 per tonne; Fujian's H1 2025 exports went mainly to ASEAN and Japan. Japan's own volume from China grew 9.7% over the same period, while China's total export volume grew 11.9% and its average export price fell 2.7%.
| Measure | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Import volume from China | 11,192.4 tonnes | +9.7% |
| Import value from China | USD 64.1 million | +27.9% |
| Value divided by volume (calculated) | ≈ USD 5,725.4 per tonne | — |
| Rank among China's destinations by value, 2025 | #8 | — |
Source: CCCFNA — Monthly export statistics report: Tea, January–December 2025 (Table 6, destinations by value; Table 12, categories) · Period 2025-01-01/2025-12-31
Which grades does Japan buy?
Japan buys Oolong, Jasmine green, Organic green. ODM Tea quotes those origin categories by name, where the garden and the grade both matter to the buyer.
White Tea
Bought by origin name in Russian and North American specialty channels, where the plucking standard sets the grade.
Oolong Tea
Fujian ships two thirds of China's oolong exports; the cultivar, origin county and roast level are named on the contract.
Green Tea
Fujian's second-largest export category by volume, and the unscented base under every jasmine grade on this site.
Organic Programme
For buyers that require certified production, traceability and destination-specific residue controls. Certification scope is confirmed per quotation.
What has to be on the contract for Japan?
The grade code with its suffix, moisture at or below the trade specification, the residue standard named by jurisdiction, the packing net weight, and the Incoterm. For Japan the residue standard is Japan's Positive List System for agricultural chemical residues, administered by the Consumer Affairs Agency (a uniform 0.01 mg/kg limit applies wherever no specific limit is set). On a Japan contract that also means naming Oolong, the route (Yokohama / Kobe), and label text in English and Japanese. Residue is the clause that stops containers at the destination, and it is the one most often left generic.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Yokohama / Kobe |
| Typical transit | Confirmed per booking in the quotation — no indicative range is published |
| Incoterms quoted | FOB, CFR, CIF |
| Load ports | Ningbo, Shanghai |
| Regulatory reference | Japan's Positive List System for agricultural chemical residues, administered by the Consumer Affairs Agency (a uniform 0.01 mg/kg limit applies wherever no specific limit is set) |
| Label languages | English, Japanese |
| Document pack (confirmed per destination) | Commercial invoice and packing list; Bill of lading; Certificate of origin (in the form the destination requires); Phytosanitary certificate; Health certificate; Pesticide residue test report; Certificate of analysis (moisture, ash, fannings) |
Further reading on Japan
Reference pieces covering Japan and the grades it buys. Each one carries the sources for the figures it quotes, so a specification can be lifted straight out of it.
China's tea exports grew 11.9% in 2025 — and the average price fell
Volume rose 11.9% and the average price fell 2.7%. The category and destination tables show where each number came from.
Pesticide residue limits on tea: a destination-by-destination problem
A lot that clears the Chinese limit has not cleared Morocco's, the EU's or Japan's. Residue is a destination variable, not a product attribute.
Why Fujian: four world categories from one province
Black tea was invented in Fujian. So was oolong as an export category. The province's export book realises multiples of China's average price per tonne.
Green tea: what it tastes like, what research supports and what else it can do
Fresh, grassy, chestnut-like or marine: green tea has a wide flavour range. Its health story needs more nuance than a detox headline.
Frequently asked
How much Chinese tea does Japan import?
Japan imported 11,192.4 tonnes of Chinese tea in 2025, up 9.7%. It was China's #8 tea export destination by value that year. Value divided by volume gives about USD 5,725.4 per tonne; Fujian's H1 2025 exports went mainly to ASEAN and Japan. Figures are from CCCFNA — Monthly export statistics report: Tea, January–December 2025 (Table 6, destinations by value; Table 12, categories) for the period 2025-01-01/2025-12-31.
Which tea grades does Japan buy?
Oolong, Jasmine green, Organic green. Grade choice follows the preparation and the price point the market actually retails at, not the exporter's preference.
What regulations apply to tea imported into Japan?
Japan's Positive List System for agricultural chemical residues, administered by the Consumer Affairs Agency (a uniform 0.01 mg/kg limit applies wherever no specific limit is set). Residue testing should be specified against Japan's limit rather than the Chinese national limit, because maximum residue limits are set independently by each jurisdiction.
How does tea reach Japan?
Yokohama / Kobe. Loading is from Ningbo or Shanghai. Transit time is confirmed per booking in the quotation; no indicative range is published on this site.
Last updated: 26 September 2026
Next step
Quote a shipment to Japan.
Give us the grade, the quantity and the Incoterm. We answer with a specification, a residue testing plan and a lead time.