How Much Matcha Should a New Café in the Philippines Import?
The right matcha order size for a Philippines cafe is the amount your cafe will actually pour before the tea loses its freshness — not whatever a supplier prints as a minimum. For most new single-location cafes that means starting small: import a trial quantity to confirm demand and your recipe, then reorder on a rhythm set by how fast you sell, because matcha is a fresh product and over-ordering wastes money and colour.
This is a planning guide for operators, not a consumer round-up. Because a reliable kilogram figure depends on your own cups per day and dose, we give you a sizing model you fill with your numbers, then walk the Philippine import reality — classification, FDA registration, duty and VAT.
Key Takeaways
- Size the order to consumption, not to a supplier minimum: convert expected cups per day and grams per drink into kilograms per month first.
- Start small, then reorder on a rhythm: a trial lot to prove demand and recipe beats a large first order you may not sell fresh.
- Freshness sets the reorder cadence: matcha fades in weeks once opened, so buy little and often, not one big drum.
- Import duty and VAT ride on your landed cost: matcha is green tea under HS heading 0902; duty depends on origin, and 12% VAT sits on the landed value.
- FDA registration is a buyer-side step your supplier documents: selling prepackaged matcha needs an FDA importer LTO and a product CPR, and your supplier’s COA, labeling and certificates feed that file.
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How much matcha should a new cafe in the Philippines import?
For a new single-location cafe, the sensible first import is a small, demand-led quantity — enough to run your menu for a few weeks and validate demand, not a bulk drum sized to a distributor’s price break. Matcha is perishable once opened, so the amount you can pour while it is fresh, not the biggest discount tier, is what should decide the number.
The honest answer is that the right figure is specific to your cafe, and you can compute it in a minute from two things you already estimate for any menu: how many matcha drinks a day you expect to sell and the grams of matcha in each drink. Everything below turns those into kilograms, then sizes a first order, a reorder rhythm and the import steps around them.
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Turn cups into kilograms: a sizing model you fill with your own numbers
Order size is arithmetic once you frame it correctly, so start from servings per kilogram. A drink uses only a couple of grams of powder, and servings per kilogram is simply 1,000 grams divided by your dose — no market data required.
| Dose per drink | Servings per kilogram (1,000 g / dose) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 g | about 667 cups | Lighter lattes, thinner recipes |
| 2 g | 500 cups | A common cafe latte dose |
| 3 g | about 333 cups | Stronger lattes, ceremonial-style or iced |
Now convert demand into a monthly need. The steps below are a worksheet, not a benchmark to copy: plug in your own estimates and the kilograms fall out, so you never copy a stranger’s order size.
- Estimate cups per day: how many matcha drinks you expect on an average day (be conservative for a new cafe).
- Multiply by your trading days per month to get cups per month.
- Divide cups per month by the servings-per-kilogram figure for your dose (from the table) to get kilograms per month.
- Size a first order to only a few weeks of that monthly figure while you confirm demand and recipe.
- %s: reorder before you run out, adjusting the quantity to what actually sold, so stock stays fresh.
A worked shape makes it concrete: a cafe expecting 40 matcha drinks a day at a 2 g dose pours about 1,200 drinks a month, which is roughly 2.4 kilograms a month at 500 cups per kilogram. A cautious first import might cover only two to three weeks of that while you learn your true run-rate. The numbers are yours to change; the method stays the same.
First order versus launch order: prove demand before you scale
New cafes routinely over-buy because a lower price per kilogram appears at higher volumes. Resist sizing your first order to a discount you have not earned yet. Treat the opening months as two distinct orders with different jobs.
- Trial / opening order: a small quantity, ideally alongside evaluation samples of more than one grade, to lock your recipe, train staff and confirm customers actually reorder the drink.
- Launch / steady order: once you have a few weeks of real sales, place a right-sized recurring order based on the kilograms-per-month figure you measured, not the one you guessed.
Minimum order quantities vary widely by supplier and grade, and many exporters offer a lower trial tier precisely so a new buyer can test before committing. Rather than chase the biggest break, ask each supplier for its real minimum, trial option and lead time, and match the first order to what you can sell fresh. A supplier who insists on a large minimum for a first-time cafe is not the right partner for a launch.
Freshness sets your reorder rhythm, so buy little and often
Matcha is not a shelf-stable commodity you stockpile. Its colour, aroma and sweetness fade with exposure to air, light, heat and humidity — a real risk in the Philippine climate — and an opened pack degrades over weeks, not months. That is why how fast you sell, not the price per kilogram, should cap your order size.
Practical rules that keep the tea fresh and the cash efficient:
- Order in pack sizes you finish quickly so each pack is opened and used while it is at its best, rather than one large drum decanted over months.
- Keep sealed stock cool, dark and dry, and refrigerate or freeze unopened reserves where practical; bring them to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation.
- %s: aim to reorder when you are a week or two from running out, so a fresh pack arrives before the old one is empty or stale.
- Buy against your measured run-rate, not a forecast you hope for; it is easier to increase the next order than to sell flat matcha.
Is matcha allowed, and what does importing into the Philippines require?
Yes — matcha (green tea powder) is a permitted food import into the Philippines, and there is no ban unique to it. What importing requires is correct classification, registration and duty handling, food-safety registration with the FDA, and payment of the applicable duty and tax. Here is the framework, with the authority for each part.
Classify it correctly under HS heading 0902 (green tea)
Matcha is treated as green tea and falls under HS heading 0902, with the exact subheading depending on packing (for example, retail packings not exceeding 3 kg versus bulk). Getting the classification right matters because it sets the duty rate and the paperwork; confirm the precise line for your packing and origin in the official Philippine Tariff Finder (Tariff Commission) before you ship.
Register to import and sell: FDA Philippines LTO and CPR
To bring in and sell prepackaged matcha, the Philippine importer must hold an importer-type License to Operate (LTO) from the Food and Drug Administration, and each prepackaged product must obtain a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) before it is distributed or sold (Food and Drug Administration, Philippines). This is a buyer-side registration, but it leans heavily on documents your supplier provides — product details, country of origin, manufacturer certifications and a supply agreement or proforma invoice all feed the CPR file.
Duty and VAT on your landed cost
The Philippines applies a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff to imports generally — its simple-average MFN rate was about 6.0% overall and 9.6% on agricultural goods in 2023 (US Department of Commerce, Philippines Country Commercial Guide), which is context, not the exact tea line — while preferential schedules can be lower for qualifying origins. Japan-origin matcha may qualify under the Philippines–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, and ASEAN (ATIGA) or other RCEP origins have their own rates; look up HS 0902 under each schedule in the Tariff Finder and claim the lowest you can document.
On top of duty, the Philippines levies value-added tax (VAT) on the landed value at the standard rate of 12% under the National Internal Revenue Code (Bureau of Internal Revenue). VAT is recoverable for a VAT-registered business but still affects cash and costing, so build it into your landed cost and confirm the current rate and any exemptions with the BIR or your customs broker.
Required documents: COA, MRL, labeling and certificates
Most first-order delays are documentary, not physical, so line up the paperwork before you ship. The table maps each document to what it proves and who supplies it, keeping the food-safety burden clearly on the export side where a capable supplier does the heavy lifting.
| Document | What it proves / covers | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis (COA) | Per-lot quality: colour, particle size, moisture, and safety test results | Supplier / manufacturer, per lot |
| Residue & contaminant testing (MRL) | Pesticide residues and heavy metals within the destination’s limits | Supplier’s accredited lab; buyer confirms PH limits |
| Labeling pack | Product name, ingredients, net weight, origin, manufacturer, dates for a compliant Philippine label | Supplier data; importer finalises the PH label |
| Free Sale / GMP / HACCP certificates | The product is sold in its origin market and made under recognised food-safety systems | Supplier / manufacturer |
| Commercial & shipping docs | Proforma and commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin | Supplier / freight forwarder |
| FDA LTO & CPR | Authority to import and to register/sell the prepackaged product | Philippine importer, using the supplier documents above |
Read the split carefully: the registration itself (LTO and CPR) is the importer’s, but almost every input to it — the COA, residue tests, certificates and product data — comes from the supplier. Choosing an export partner who issues these as a matter of course removes most of the friction from a first Philippine order.
Step-by-step: sizing and placing your first Philippine order
A practical sequence that puts sizing first and paperwork early, so nothing stalls at the port:
- Compute your kilograms per month using cups per day, dose and the servings-per-kilogram table, then set a small first-order quantity.
- Request evaluation samples of the grade(s) you are considering and confirm your recipe and dose on real drinks.
- %s: ask each supplier for its minimum order, trial option, lead time, and an FOB or CIF quote for your volume.
- Confirm origin and the HS 0902 duty you can claim (MFN / PJEPA / ATIGA / RCEP) in the Tariff Finder.
- Line up FDA registration: secure your FDA importer LTO and prepare the product CPR using the supplier’s COA, certificates and labeling data.
- Place the right-sized trial order; receive, store cool and dark, and start selling.
- Measure real sales for a few weeks, then place a launch order matched to your measured run-rate and a reorder cadence that keeps stock fresh.
Common ordering mistakes new cafes make
The avoidable errors that turn a first import into wasted cash or a stalled shipment:
- Over-ordering to chase a price break, then watching colour and flavour fade before it sells.
- Sizing the order to a supplier’s minimum instead of to measured consumption and freshness.
- Mixing up price bases: treating a retail tin price as a wholesale cost, or combining a price from one source with a minimum from another.
- Assuming a duty rate without checking the exact HS 0902 line and origin schedule in the Tariff Finder.
- Leaving FDA LTO and CPR to the last minute, so the paperwork — not the tea — delays the launch.
- Skipping the recipe lock by not standardising the recipe and dose, so consumption and reorder timing become impossible to plan.
Supplier and order-readiness checklist
Your first order is only as smooth as your supplier’s documentation and flexibility. This is a theme-adaptive checklist, not a supplier rating table: it never ranks named competitors or scores suppliers with stars, it simply lists what a Philippine cafe should verify. Ask any supplier — a local distributor, a Japanese exporter or JMEX — the same questions and judge them on what they can prove.
| What to check | What to verify with any supplier |
|---|---|
| Trial option & MOQ | A small first-order or sample tier so a new cafe can test before committing, plus clear minimums for reorders |
| Grade fit for the cup | A latte/barista grade proven in dairy and oat milk, hot and iced, with samples of each grade you might pour |
| Quote basis | A wholesale price at your real volume with an explicit trade condition (FOB or CIF), never a retail tin price |
| Origin & duty fit | Confirmed origin (e.g. Japan for PJEPA) and documents so you can claim the correct HS 0902 duty |
| COA & testing | A per-lot Certificate of Analysis with residue and heavy-metal testing you can map to Philippine limits |
| Registration documents | Labeling data, Free Sale, GMP/HACCP and a proforma invoice that feed your FDA LTO and CPR |
| Freshness & packaging | Fresh, well-sealed, light-protected packing and clear dating suited to a hot, humid climate |
| Lead time & scale | Reliable lead times and the ability to grow from a trial lot to steady volume as demand builds |
Proof and flexibility beat a cheap headline: a supplier who answers with samples, a COA and ready registration documents lets you size, land and reorder confidently — worth far more than one quoting only a low price per kilogram with a large minimum and no paperwork.
From the exporter’s perspective
From the export side, the Philippine cafes that get their first order right share a few habits. They size the order from measured consumption rather than a discount tier, so they never carry matcha past its freshness. They start with samples and a small trial lot to lock a recipe before scaling. They confirm origin and paperwork up front so duty and FDA registration do not stall the launch, and they reorder little and often against real sales. The order that works is rarely the biggest; it is the one matched to how fast the cafe actually pours.
Researched and reviewed by the Matcha Times Editorial Team, operated by the Japan Matcha Export Organization (JMEX). Last reviewed: September 20, 2026. See our Editorial Policy and Sources & Methodology. Found an error? Tell us.
Sources & Methodology
This guide is a source-transparent synthesis of official Philippine tariff, tax and food-safety references, US-government trade guidance and Japanese trade statistics, applied to sizing a new Philippine cafe’s first matcha import — not a proprietary dataset. We publish no invented price per kilogram, no MOQ we cannot source, and no fabricated volume figure. Order sizing is a framework applied to your own cups per day and dose.
Servings-per-kilogram figures are plain arithmetic (1,000 g ÷ dose); tariff averages are labelled as national averages, not the exact HS 0902 tea line, which readers should confirm in the official Tariff Finder for their origin and packing. Japan trade figures are scoped as green-tea totals (all forms, including matcha), with value and volume labelled and the year stated, never as matcha-only. FDA LTO and CPR requirements should be confirmed with the current FDA Philippines issuances for your product.
- Philippine Tariff Commission — Philippine Tariff Finder — the official schedules (MFN, PJEPA, ATIGA, RCEP) for classifying matcha as green tea under HS heading 0902 and looking up the Philippine import duty by origin (accessed 2026-09-20; Philippine government tariff tool (primary/official))
- U.S. Department of Commerce — Philippines Country Commercial Guide (Import Tariffs) — the Philippines’ simple-average MFN tariff (about 6.0% overall, 9.6% agricultural in 2023) — cited as national-average context, not as the exact tea line (accessed 2026-09-20; US government commercial guide (primary/official))
- Food and Drug Administration (Philippines) — the requirement for an importer License to Operate (LTO) and a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) for prepackaged food before distribution or sale (accessed 2026-09-20; Philippine government food-safety authority (primary/official))
- Bureau of Internal Revenue (Philippines) — the Philippine value-added tax framework and the standard 12% VAT rate applied to the landed value of imports and to sales (accessed 2026-09-20; Philippine government tax authority (primary/official))
- Japan Ministry of Finance — Trade Statistics of Japan / MAFF (via Nippon.com) — Japan’s 2024 green-tea export value (~¥36.4bn) and volume (~8,798 t) as a green-tea total (all forms, including matcha, not matcha-only), context for supply and origin (accessed 2026-09-20; Japan government trade statistics (primary/official))
Why Buyers Choose JMEX (Japan Matcha Export Organization)
For a new Philippine cafe, the matcha partner that makes a first order easy is not the one with the lowest sticker price — it is the one who lets you start small with samples, quotes on a clear trade condition, confirms origin so you can claim the right duty, and hands you the documents your FDA registration needs. JMEX (Japan Matcha Export Organization) is a wholesale and export partner focused on shipping authentic Japanese matcha overseas, sourcing across Japan’s growing regions and designing grades to a customer’s intended use rather than selling one tin for every job.
That matters when you are sizing a first import because you can evaluate more than one grade before committing, then scale from a trial lot to steady volume as your cafe’s run-rate settles. With an export track record to 43 countries, JMEX can supply evaluation samples, quote FOB or CIF for your volume, and provide the per-lot COA, residue testing, labeling data and Free Sale / GMP / HACCP certificates that feed your FDA importer LTO and product CPR — so classification, duty and registration do not stall your launch, and your reorders stay fresh and consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Quick answers to the questions new Philippine cafe owners, roasters and beverage buyers ask most about matcha order size and importing.
How much matcha does a cafe use per month?
It depends entirely on cups sold and dose, and the maths is simple. A cafe pouring 40 matcha drinks a day at a 2 g dose uses about 1,200 drinks a month, and at 500 servings per kilogram (1,000 g divided by 2 g) that is roughly 2.4 kilograms a month. Change the cups or the dose and the kilograms move with them, so estimate your own average day, multiply by trading days, and divide by servings per kilogram rather than copying another cafe’s figure.
What is the minimum order to import matcha to the Philippines?
There is no single legal minimum; the minimum order quantity is set by each supplier and grade and varies widely, and many exporters offer a smaller trial tier so a new buyer can test first. The right first order is not the lowest price break but the amount you can sell while it is fresh, so ask each supplier for its real minimum, trial option and lead time, and size the order to your measured consumption.
Do I need FDA registration to import matcha into the Philippines?
To sell prepackaged matcha, yes. The Philippine importer needs an importer-type License to Operate (LTO) from the FDA, and each prepackaged product needs a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) before it is distributed or sold. This is a buyer-side registration, but it relies on documents your supplier provides — product details, origin, manufacturer certifications and a supply agreement or proforma invoice — so confirm the current requirements with the FDA and choose a supplier who issues those documents readily.
What is the HS code and import duty for matcha in the Philippines?
Matcha is classified as green tea under HS heading 0902, with the exact subheading depending on packing. The duty depends on origin and the trade agreement you claim: the Philippines applies a Most Favoured Nation rate generally, while Japan-origin matcha may qualify for a preferential rate under PJEPA and ASEAN or other RCEP origins have their own schedules. Look up HS 0902 for your origin in the official Philippine Tariff Finder, and remember the standard 12% VAT applies to the landed value on top of any duty.
How long does matcha stay fresh once opened?
Matcha is best used within a few weeks of opening, because exposure to air, light, heat and humidity fades its colour, aroma and sweetness — a real consideration in the Philippine climate. Sealed packs kept cool, dark and dry last considerably longer, and refrigerating or freezing unopened reserves helps, provided you bring them to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Because freshness degrades over weeks, buy in pack sizes you finish quickly and reorder often rather than stockpiling one large drum.
Ceremonial or culinary grade for a cafe’s first order?
For a milk-based latte menu, a dedicated latte or barista grade is usually the better value. Ceremonial grade is made to be whisked with water and sipped straight, where its delicate umami shines, but under milk and sweetness that nuance is lost. A latte grade is blended for colour and flavour that survive milk and ice, so most new cafes start with a latte grade for the everyday menu and keep a small ceremonial line only if they sell a straight, hero matcha. Request samples of each before you size the order.
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Conclusion
When origin, grade, and export conditions align, matcha becomes a stable revenue source. Start by defining your requirements and confirming quality with a sample.
Looking for wholesale or OEM matcha samples? Contact us — we will recommend the optimal origin and grade based on your application and target markets.
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