Seventh by value on about a ninth of Morocco's volume — grade, not tonnage, sets the price.
- Rank by export value, 2025#7
- Volume from China10,456.1 t (-11.8%)
- ValueUSD 66.4 million
- Value ÷ volume≈ USD 6,347.6 / t
- Grades boughtOrganic white tea, Oolong, Jasmine green
- Regulatory referenceFDA import requirements, with pesticide residue tolerances set by the US Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR Part 180
- RouteLong Beach / New York
What do the numbers say about United States?
Seventh among China's tea export destinations by value in 2025. Value divided by volume gives about USD 6,347.6 per tonne, roughly 1.7 times China's export average. The United States's own volume from China fell 11.8% 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 | 10,456.1 tonnes | -11.8% |
| Import value from China | USD 66.4 million | +8.1% |
| Value divided by volume (calculated) | ≈ USD 6,347.6 per tonne | — |
| Rank among China's destinations by value, 2025 | #7 | — |
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 United States buy?
United States buys Organic white tea, Oolong, Jasmine 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.
Black Tea
The category first made in Tongmu, Wuyishan: Lapsang Souchong, Jin Jun Mei and Tanyang Gongfu, smoked or unsmoked as the contract states.
Green Tea
Fujian's second-largest export category by volume, and the unscented base under every jasmine grade on this site.
Jasmine Tea
Fuzhou is the reference origin for scented tea; the contract states the scenting rounds, the base grade and whether blossom stays in the finished tea.
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 United States?
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 the United States the residue standard is FDA import requirements, with pesticide residue tolerances set by the US Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR Part 180. On a United States contract that also means naming Organic white tea, the route (Long Beach / New York), and label text in English. Residue is the clause that stops containers at the destination, and it is the one most often left generic.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Long Beach / New York |
| Typical transit | Confirmed per booking in the quotation — no indicative range is published |
| Incoterms quoted | FOB, CFR, CIF |
| Load ports | Ningbo, Shanghai |
| Regulatory reference | FDA import requirements, with pesticide residue tolerances set by the US Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR Part 180 |
| Label languages | English |
| 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 United States
Reference pieces covering United States 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.
Frequently asked
How much Chinese tea does the United States import?
The United States imported 10,456.1 tonnes of Chinese tea in 2025, down 11.8%. It was China's #7 tea export destination by value that year. Value divided by volume gives about USD 6,347.6 per tonne, roughly 1.7 times China's export average. 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 the United States buy?
Organic white tea, Oolong, Jasmine 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 the United States?
FDA import requirements, with pesticide residue tolerances set by the US Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR Part 180. Residue testing should be specified against the United States's limit rather than the Chinese national limit, because maximum residue limits are set independently by each jurisdiction.
How does tea reach the United States?
Long Beach / New York. 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 United States.
Give us the grade, the quantity and the Incoterm. We answer with a specification, a residue testing plan and a lead time.