Quality and compliance
Residue is a destination problem, not a product attribute
A lot that clears the Chinese national limit has not cleared Morocco's, the EU's or Japan's. ODM Tea specifies the standard by jurisdiction and tests before loading where testing is contracted.
What does each destination require?
Residue standards are set by the destination, not by the origin, so the eight markets on this site fall under separate regimes. Morocco applies ONSSA limits under Order 156-14. Russia applies EAEU technical regulations TR CU 021/2011 and TR CU 022/2011 with a registered Declaration of Conformity and the EAC mark; Uzbekistan is an EAEU observer, not a member, so it applies national requirements instead. Japan operates a positive-list residue system, the United States applies FDA import requirements, and Senegal, Mauritania and Ghana apply national food safety control. The European Union is not among them, but its increased official controls on tea from China are the reference European buyers ask about.
| Destination | Authority or instrument | What it governs |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | ONSSA · Order 156-14, BO 6322bis (1 January 2015) | Pesticide maximum residue limits; non-conforming product is refused national market access |
| Senegal, Mauritania, Ghana | National food safety control | Import inspection and residue control |
| Russia and the EAEU | TR CU 021/2011 and TR CU 022/2011 · EAC mark | Food safety, contaminants and residues; mandatory labelling in Russian |
| European Union | EU MRLs · Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/194 | Residue limits; 20% of tea consignments from China checked at the border |
| Japan | Positive-list residue system | Among the strictest residue regimes of major tea buyers |
| United States | FDA import requirements; USDA organic where claimed | Import admissibility; organic requires a per-shipment NOP Import Certificate |
How should a residue clause be written?
Name the jurisdiction, not the origin standard. Name the substance panel. Name or approve the accredited laboratory. Require the report before loading rather than with the documents. State the sampling method and the lot definition. And state the remedy if a lot fails at destination — that clause is what makes the other five enforceable.
| Clause | Weak version | Workable version |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Meets national standard | Meets the maximum residue limits of the destination jurisdiction, named |
| Scope | Pesticide test report | Named multi-residue panel appropriate to the destination |
| Laboratory | Supplier test | Accredited third-party laboratory, named or approved by the buyer |
| Timing | Report with shipping documents | Report issued, and accepted by the buyer, before loading |
| Sampling | Not stated | Sampling method and lot definition stated |
| Remedy | Not stated | Consequence if a lot fails at destination |
What does the document pack contain?
The document set is confirmed by destination, product and contract. A typical sea shipment includes the commercial invoice and packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, health certificate and, where testing is contracted, a residue report and certificate of analysis. Russia adds a registered Declaration of Conformity; organic adds the import certificate the destination requires — the NOP Import Certificate for the United States, the e-COI for the EU.
- 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)
On certifications
Certifications are listed on this site only once held, each with its issuing body and scope. A supplier's certificate is not ours to claim, and a mill's or a garden's certificate does not transfer to a shipper. If a certificate is not listed here, we do not hold it.
Frequently asked
What is a maximum residue limit and why does it differ by country?
A maximum residue limit is the highest concentration of a pesticide residue legally permitted in or on a product, set on the dry leaf for tea. Each jurisdiction sets its own values, so the same lot can be legal in one destination and refused in another with no change to the tea itself.
Is Chinese tea subject to extra controls in the EU?
Yes. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/194, in force since 18 February 2026, 20% of consignments of tea from China are selected for identity and physical checks for pesticide residues at the EU border, including residues of tolfenpyrad.
What does Morocco require?
ONSSA, Morocco's national food safety authority, sets and enforces maximum residue limits on imported tea. Order 156-14, published in Bulletin Officiel 6322bis on 1 January 2015, established the framework, and product found non-conforming at control is refused access to the national market.
What does Russia require?
Compliance with EAEU technical regulations TR CU 021/2011 on food safety and TR CU 022/2011 on labelling, evidenced by a registered Declaration of Conformity, with the EAC conformity mark applied and label content in Russian.
Does organic certification replace residue testing?
Organic certification does not replace residue testing. It evidences chain of custody from a certified production unit and processing site, with a per-shipment import certificate — the NOP Import Certificate for the United States, the electronic certificate of inspection for the EU. Residue testing measures what is actually in the lot. Buyers into strict markets normally require both.
When should the residue report be issued?
The residue report should be issued, and accepted by the buyer, before loading. A report that travels with the container cannot prevent a rejection at the destination — it only documents it.
Last updated: 26 September 2026
Next step
Send the destination to start the test plan.
Where testing is included in the quotation, the residue panel, sampling method, laboratory and timing are written against the jurisdiction you are shipping into.