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Wholesale · United Kingdom · 2026
We ship Japanese matcha from Japan to cafes in the United Kingdom, from 5 kg per item, milled to order. Since Brexit the UK has its own tariff, its own VAT rules and its own organic paperwork, and for matcha most of them work in your favour. This page sets out the UK numbers as they stand in 2026, and the two dates worth knowing.
Key takeaways
In this guide
Everything that decides your landed cost from Japan, on one table. The duty and VAT lines come straight from the UK Integrated Online Tariff for imports from Japan.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Latte grade matcha | About $100 to $160 per kg, quoted at 1 kg | Our collection list |
| Ceremonial grade matcha | About $160 to $210 per kg, quoted at 1 kg | Our collection list |
| EMS to the UK, parcel of around 5 kg | 13,000 yen | Japan Post published EMS rate (zone 3) |
| Sample shipping | US$25 flat | Our terms |
| Duty, packs of 3 kg or less (0902 10 00 00) | 2% general; 0% for Japan under the UK-Japan CEPA or CPTPP | UK Integrated Online Tariff |
| Duty, larger packs (0902 20 00 00) | 0% | UK Integrated Online Tariff |
| Import VAT on green tea | 0% (zero rate) | UK Integrated Online Tariff |
| Collected at your door | Nothing. We ship DDP | Our terms |
Yen amounts are converted at the exchange rate on the day of the invoice. Tariff figures as of September 29, 2026. Northern Ireland has its own online tariff; tell us if your cafe is there.
Most cafes buy matcha in 1 kg bags, which puts it under 0902 10 00 00, the one green tea line with a duty. The UK gives Japanese tea two separate ways to bring that 2% down to zero: the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, in force since the start of 2021, and CPTPP, which the UK joined in December 2024. Either one works when the matcha qualifies as Japanese origin and the preference is claimed at import.
The UK rate is also lower than the EU’s to begin with: 2% against 3.2% for the same small packs. And VAT does not come into it. The UK tariff lists green tea at the VAT zero rate, so there is no import VAT to pay on matcha at all, whatever the value of the parcel.
This is where Brexit adds work. An EU organic certificate does not cover Great Britain. To sell Japanese matcha as organic in GB, each consignment, even a sample, needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection, the exporter’s control body has to be on the UK’s non-UK organic registers, and the importer has to be a UK-based business certified by an approved UK control body.
So organic has to be planned before we pack. If organic status matters for your menu or your retail shelf, tell us at the start, and check with your UK control body that your business is set up to receive it.
Japan Post lists EMS from Tokyo to the UK at 5 days. Our most recent parcel beat that: a set of samples posted on August 23, 2026 was delivered on August 27, four days later.
Because we mill after you order, allow 2 to 4 weeks from order to delivery, shipping included, and 8 to 10 weeks around the first harvest in spring. Our dosing chart turns drinks per day into kilograms per month, so you can time the next order.
What you get from us is not one farm but access to many. We are connected with farms all over Japan, including the Uji area of Kyoto, and we choose each one ourselves: we visit, we look with our own eyes, and we taste the samples before deciding which farms are the right fit for cafe owners.
We then help connect you directly with those farmers, which gives your brand a real story to tell. And we can invite you to each of those farms on a farm tour.
See who grows our matcha on the farmers and regions page, compare grades on our collection list, and for the EU rules see our Europe page.
Tell us your drinks per day, what you pour now, and whether you need organic. We will pick lots that fit your menu and send samples. The sample cost comes off your first bulk order if you place it within a month of the samples arriving.
Shipping somewhere else? See our wholesale guides for the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Europe and Australia.
Green tea in packs of 3 kg or less (commodity code 0902 10 00 00) has a 2% third-country duty in the UK Global Tariff. Tea of Japanese origin can enter at 0% under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or under CPTPP. Green tea in larger packs (0902 20 00 00) is 0% from any origin.
No. The UK tariff lists green tea at the VAT zero rate, so import VAT on matcha is 0%.
No. Since leaving the EU the UK sets its own rates. For small packs of green tea the UK general rate is 2%, against 3.2% in the EU. For Japanese matcha with the preference claimed, both are 0%.
Only with GB paperwork: a Great Britain certificate of inspection for every consignment, including samples, and an importer based in the UK and certified by an approved UK control body. Tell us at the start if you need organic status.
Japan Post lists 5 days by EMS from Tokyo. Our August 2026 sample to the UK was posted on August 23 and delivered on August 27. Allow 2 to 4 weeks from order to delivery, shipping included, and 8 to 10 weeks around the first harvest.
Hiroshi Asami is the founder of Japanomars, which exports Japanese matcha to cafes in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada and the Philippines, sourcing through direct relationships with growers and processors across Japan, including the Uji area of Kyoto.
Sources
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