What Documents Should a Matcha Supplier Provide? Complete B2B Buyer Checklist
A matcha supplier should be able to hand you, for every shipment, a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) covering pesticide residues, heavy metals and microbiology; a product specification sheet; any organic or food-safety certificates that match your market; and the trade paperwork that moves the goods — commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and (where the destination requires it) a phytosanitary certificate. The exact set depends on where you are importing to, but a serious B2B supplier can produce all of it in writing before you place the order.
Written for importers, wholesalers, OEM brands and manufacturers sourcing at scale, this guide lists the documents to request, explains what each proves and who issues it, and gives you a reusable checklist to evaluate any supplier, including JMEX — each requirement tied to its primary regulatory source.
Key Takeaways
- Ask for documents, not adjectives. A lot-specific COA, a specification sheet, and valid, in-scope certificates matter far more than a “premium Japanese” label.
- The COA is per batch; the certificate is per system. A COA proves what is in the exact lot you receive; an organic or food-safety certificate covers the supplier’s system, not the shipment.
- Some documents are the buyer’s legal duty, not the supplier’s. US FSVP, Prior Notice and facility registration, and EU residue compliance sit with the importer — a good supplier supports them, but the responsibility is yours.
- Match the document set to the destination market. The US, EU and other markets each add their own required paperwork on top of the universal commercial documents.
- Verify before you commit. Check certificate scope and validity, confirm the COA lot number matches the shipment, and run a lot trace-back to garden and harvest.
For Companies Seeking Matcha Powder
We prepare COAs, residue analyses, organic JAS documentation and export paperwork as one flow, so buyers can verify every requirement on paper before they order.
Common Challenges:
- “We have projects but cannot secure stable matcha supply…”
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If you face these concerns, consult with Matcha Times. Feel free to contact us for initial inquiries.
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The core matcha supplier documents every B2B buyer should request
Regardless of destination, there is a baseline set of matcha supplier documents you should expect on every wholesale order. The table below groups them by what they prove — product safety and quality, system-level certification, and trade — so you can build a single request list.
| Document | What it proves | Typically issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis (COA) | Test results for the specific lot: pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbiology, and often moisture and ash | Supplier / accredited laboratory |
| Product specification sheet | Agreed product parameters — particle size, colour, moisture, sensory profile — independent of any single batch | Supplier |
| Organic certificate | That the product is certified organic under a named scheme (e.g. JAS) | Accredited certifying body |
| Food-safety / audit certificate | A managed food-safety system (HACCP or a GFSI-recognised scheme such as FSSC 22000) | Accredited certifier |
| Commercial invoice | Transaction value, terms of sale, and parties — the basis for customs valuation | Supplier / exporter |
| Packing list | Cartons, net and gross weights, and lot numbers for the shipment | Supplier / exporter |
| Certificate of origin | The country where the goods were produced | Exporter / chamber of commerce |
| Phytosanitary certificate | That plant goods met the destination’s quarantine conditions at export | Government plant-protection authority |
Treat this as a document request you send in writing. A supplier that cannot commit to a per-shipment COA, or that offers only a generic year-old test report, is a supplier you cannot document to your regulator.
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What a matcha Certificate of Analysis (COA) must contain
The COA is the single most important document, and it is frequently confused with a specification sheet. A spec sheet describes the product you agreed to buy; the COA reports what a laboratory actually measured in the batch being shipped. For matcha, a usable COA should be batch-specific and cover, at minimum:
- Pesticide residues — a full screening panel, tested against your destination market’s limits, not only Japanese limits.
- Heavy metals — lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, which matter for a finely milled whole-leaf powder that is consumed in full.
- Microbiology — total plate count, yeast and mould, and pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella.
- Identity and quality markers — commonly moisture and ash, and sometimes colour or compositional markers.
- Lot identification — the lot number on the COA must match the lot number on your packing list and shipment.
A key verification step is simple: confirm the COA lot number matches the shipment lot number. A generic COA that is not tied to your specific lot proves very little about what you will actually receive.
Documents required by destination market (US, EU and beyond)
On top of the universal set, each destination market layers its own requirements. The matrix below maps the main additions for the two largest export markets and the general baseline, with the authority behind each one. Confirm the current rules for your specific market before every programme.
| Market | Key additional requirements | Authority / primary source |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign facility registration; Prior Notice before each shipment; importer verification under FSVP | FDA |
| United States (organic label) | USDA NOP certification recognised for import, with a valid NOP import certificate for organic claims | USDA NOP |
| European Union | Shipments must meet EU maximum residue levels, which can be stricter than Japanese limits | European Commission |
| Organic (Japan origin) | Certified under Japan’s JAS organic system before equivalency claims are made abroad | MAFF (JAS) |
| General / quarantine | A phytosanitary certificate where the destination requires one for plant products | MAFF Plant Protection Station |
Note the pattern: many of these are obligations on you as the importer, not on the supplier. That distinction is where a lot of first-time buyers get caught, so it is worth making explicit.
Who issues each document — and who is legally responsible
Competitor guides tend to list documents without saying who actually produces each one or who carries the legal duty. Separating the two prevents the common mistake of assuming “the supplier handles compliance.” The supplier issues or supports much of the paperwork, but for import obligations the responsible party is usually the importer.
| Document / obligation | Who issues it | Who is legally responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis | Supplier or its accredited lab | Supplier for accuracy; buyer for verifying against destination limits |
| Organic / food-safety certificate | Accredited certifying body | Supplier holds it; buyer verifies scope and validity |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Exporting country’s plant-protection authority | Exporter arranges; required by the destination |
| Commercial invoice, packing list, origin | Exporter / supplier | Exporter prepares; buyer relies on it for customs |
| US Prior Notice & FSVP | Filed by / on behalf of the importer | The importer (buyer) |
| Foreign facility registration | The manufacturing facility | The facility; import refused if unregistered |
The practical takeaway: choose a supplier that prepares and supports the export-side documents smoothly, but build your own compliance checklist for the obligations that remain yours.
HS classification and duties for matcha
For customs, matcha is treated as green tea. Under the Harmonized System it falls in heading 0902 (tea, whether or not flavoured); non-fermented green tea is generally split by packing size — subheading 0902.10 for immediate packings of 3 kg or less and 0902.20 for larger packings. The exact statistical subheading and the applicable duty depend on the destination country’s tariff schedule.
Because duty rates and any preferential treatment vary by market and can change, do not treat a single duty figure as universal. Confirm the binding classification and the current duty with the destination customs authority (or request a binding ruling) rather than relying on a supplier’s estimate. The commercial invoice and certificate of origin are what customs uses to value and rate the shipment.
The export-side document flow, step by step
Turning the document list into a repeatable process keeps a shipment moving and avoids last-minute border problems. On the export side, the sequence generally runs:
- Agree the specification — lock the spec sheet (grade, particle size, packaging) so the COA has something to be measured against.
- Confirm destination requirements early — identify the market’s document set (US FSVP/Prior Notice/registration, EU residue limits, organic import certificate) before production.
- Produce and test the lot — the supplier runs or commissions batch testing and issues the lot-specific COA.
- Prepare certificates — organic and food-safety certificates confirmed as in-scope; a phytosanitary certificate obtained from the plant-protection authority where required.
- Issue trade documents — commercial invoice, packing list, and certificate of origin, with lot numbers consistent across all of them.
- Pre-notify and clear — file any advance notice the destination requires, then present the document set at customs.
Lead times run from spec agreement through testing to shipment; because certificate issuance and quarantine inspection add time, confirm the realistic timeline with your supplier per market rather than assuming a fixed window.
Common document pitfalls to avoid
- Accepting a generic COA. A COA that is not tied to your lot number, or is a year old, does not describe your shipment.
- Testing only to Japanese limits. A batch that passes at origin can still be rejected on arrival if it was not tested against the destination’s residue limits.
- Confusing a certificate with a COA. An organic or food-safety certificate covers the system; it is not evidence of what is in the specific batch.
- Assuming the supplier owns import compliance. Facility registration, Prior Notice and FSVP are importer obligations in the US; treating them as the supplier’s job leads to refusals.
- Ignoring certificate scope and expiry. A valid-looking certificate may exclude the exact product, or have lapsed — always check scope and date.
A reusable document checklist to send any supplier
Use the questions below as a written request. Framed this way, they work to evaluate any supplier, including JMEX, and a strong supplier answers each in writing with the document attached.
- Can you provide a batch-specific COA for my shipment covering residues, heavy metals and microbiology, tested against my destination’s limits?
- Will you share a specification sheet with measured values?
- Which organic and food-safety certificates do you hold, and do their scope and validity cover this product and market?
- Can you prepare the trade documents (commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin) with consistent lot numbers?
- Can you obtain a phytosanitary certificate if my market requires one?
- Can you support my market’s import requirements (for the US, records for FSVP and Prior Notice)?
- Can you complete a lot trace-back from a COA lot number to garden, harvest and processing?
Why Buyers Choose JMEX (Japan Matcha Export Organization)
If you apply the checklist above to JMEX, the export-side documentation is built into how orders are handled. As an export organisation, JMEX proposes the optimal leaf from across Japan — Uji, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Yame and more — and treats origin selection, grade design, quality assurance and export documentation as one continuous flow rather than separate favours.
On the documents buyers care about most, JMEX prepares COAs, residue analyses and organic JAS documentation for major destinations and handles the export-side paperwork so shipments clear customs cleanly. With an export track record to 43 countries, JMEX is familiar with the differing document sets that markets such as the US and EU require, and supply flexes from a trial lot up to steady large-volume orders.
From the exporter’s perspective
As an export organisation, we treat every order as a documentation project as much as a product one: we confirm the destination’s document requirements up front, prepare the lot-specific COA and the certificates whose scope covers the product, and keep lot numbers consistent across the COA, invoice and packing list. Where a market needs a phytosanitary certificate, we arrange it on the export side. Specific prices, MOQs and lead times are always confirmed at quotation for your market rather than quoted as a one-size-fits-all figure.
Sources & Methodology
Every regulatory requirement in this guide is drawn from the external primary and official sources below; each entry states what it supports, its date, and its scope. This article makes no first-party statistical claims: document sets, duties, and lead times vary by market and supplier and are described qualitatively, and any binding classification or specific figure should be confirmed with the relevant authority or in a written quotation for your market.
- FDA — Registration of Food Facilities — the requirement for foreign facilities to register with FDA to export food to the US (accessed 2026, US import law)
- FDA — Prior Notice of Imported Foods — the advance-notice requirement for imported food shipments (accessed 2026, US import process)
- FDA — Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) final rule — the importer’s duty to verify that a foreign supplier meets US safety standards (rule effective 2016, US import law)
- USDA — National Organic Program — US organic certification and import recognition, including the NOP import certificate (accessed 2026, US organic)
- European Commission — Maximum Residue Levels — the EU pesticide residue limits applied to imported food (accessed 2026, EU import)
- MAFF — Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), incl. organic — Japan’s organic certification framework (accessed 2026, Japan origin)
- MAFF Plant Protection Station — export inspection procedure — how a phytosanitary certificate is applied for and issued on export from Japan (accessed 2026, Japan export quarantine)
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule, heading 0902 (tea) — classification of green tea (including matcha) under HS heading 0902 and its subheadings (accessed 2026, Tariff classification)
- GFSI — recognised certification programme owners — which food-safety schemes (e.g. FSSC 22000) are GFSI-recognised (accessed 2026, Food-safety benchmarking)
Researched and reviewed by the Matcha Times Editorial Team, operated by the Japan Matcha Export Organization (JMEX). Last reviewed: 2026-09-15. See our Editorial Policy and Sources & Methodology. Found an error? Tell us.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions B2B buyers ask about matcha supplier documents, answered directly for importers, wholesalers and manufacturers.
What documents should a matcha supplier provide?
For every shipment, expect a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (residues, heavy metals, microbiology), a product specification sheet, any organic or food-safety certificates that match your market, and the trade documents — commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. Some markets also require a phytosanitary certificate and importer filings.
What should a matcha Certificate of Analysis (COA) contain?
A usable COA is batch-specific and reports pesticide residues, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), microbiology (total plate count, yeast and mould, pathogens), and usually moisture and ash. Critically, its lot number must match the lot number on your shipment, and results should be checked against your destination market’s limits.
What is the difference between a COA and a specification sheet?
A specification sheet describes the product parameters you agreed to buy; a COA reports what a laboratory actually measured in the specific batch being shipped. You need both: the spec sheet to set expectations, and the COA to prove the individual lot meets them.
Do I need a phytosanitary certificate to import matcha?
It depends on the destination. Some markets require a phytosanitary certificate for plant products; in Japan it is issued by the Plant Protection Station after an export inspection. Confirm your market’s requirement before shipping, because a missing certificate can hold goods at the border.
What is the HS code for matcha?
Matcha is classified as green tea under Harmonized System heading 0902 (tea, whether or not flavoured). Non-fermented green tea is generally divided by packing size (subheading 0902.10 for 3 kg-or-less packings, 0902.20 for larger). Confirm the exact subheading and duty with the destination customs authority, as classifications and rates vary by country.
Who is responsible for import compliance — the supplier or the buyer?
In most markets the importer carries the legal responsibility. For the US that includes facility registration, Prior Notice and FSVP; for the EU it includes meeting maximum residue levels. A good supplier prepares and supports the export-side documents, but the buyer should confirm and own the import obligations.
Learn More About Global Matcha Trends at Matcha Times
Matcha Times is a specialist media platform covering the global matcha market — sourcing and wholesale, supply and pricing, trade and regulations, production and origins, and the companies shaping the industry.
From market analysis and price trends to café case studies and interviews with tea farmers, we help buyers, importers, distributors, and manufacturers stay ahead of where matcha is heading. Explore more and put the global matcha market to work for your business.
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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