1. Organic JAS

The JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard) System is based on the Law Concerning Standardization, etc. of Agricultural and Forestry Products (Law No.175, 1950) which governs all the agricultural and forestry products, except for liquors, drugs, quasi-drugs and cosmetics. The Organic JAS system has been further developed with the addition of the JAS Standards for organic livestock products, organic processed foods of animal origin and organic feeds which took effect in November 2005.

For the information about importing an organic product into the European Union, please refer to the page “About TRACES” and “TRACES NT Documentation”.
About TRACES
https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/traces_en
TRACES NT Documentation
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/IMSOC/tracesnt-help/Content/Home.htm

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website
https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/standard/jas/index.html
Japanese tea certified as Organic JAS is considered to conform to equivalent standards as EU produced organic goods and Japanese tea labeled as Organic can be imported to EU if the product satisfies fixed conditions. However, it does NOT mean that the Japanese tea can be certified as an EU organic food.
Reference:
European Commission, Food, Farming, Fisheries > Farming > Organic farming > Trade in organics
Importing organic produce
https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming/trade_en
農林水産省 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries HP
有機食品の検査認証制度
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/jas_kikaku/yuuki.html

2. EU Maximum Residue Level (MRL) of Pesticide

The producers have examined some tea leaves for EU Maximum Residue Level (MRL) for pesticides analysis by an examination organization in Germany.
The results of the examination satisfied the EU regulation.

Reference:
European Commission > Food Safety > Plants > Pesticides > Pesticides Database
https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/eu-pesticides-database/public/?event=homepage&language=EN
European Commission > Food Safety > Plants > Pesticides > EU Pesticides database > MRLs
https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/eu-pesticides-database/start/screen/mrls
Product(s): 0610000 Teas
Selected product: Teas
https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/eu-pesticides-database/start/screen/products/details/243

3. Examination of Radioactive materials in tea cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture conducted testing for radioactive materials in tea cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture from 2011 to 2018, after the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011. The inspection of crude tea and leaves was conducted in 2011, and inspection of brewed tea was conducted from 2012 to 2018. The results from 2012 to 2018 were below the detection limit. Additionally, by the Japanese government’s policy, tea cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture was excluded from items required to be tested in 2018. Thus, Shizuoka Prefecture stopped testing from 2019. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, CHAMART judged that it was not necessary to test for radioactive materials in tea cultivated in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Reference:
静岡県HP 農畜水産物の放射性物質検査について
Shizuoka Prefecture’s HP “Examination of Radioactive materials in agricultural, livestock and marine products”
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kousei/ko-520/syokuhin/housyanoukeikaku.html

4. Tariff rate on green tea and genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) to EU and HS code (as of April 2024)

Green tea
0902.10 Green tea (not fermented) in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3 kg: 3.2%, Japan Tariff preference 0%
0902.20 Other green tea (not fermented) : Japan Tariff preference 0%

Genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice that the proportion of roasted rice is less than 50%)
2101 20 Extracts, essences and concentrates, of tea or maté, and preparations with a basis of these extracts, essences or concentrates, or with a basis of tea or maté :
Japan Tariff preference (01-02-2021 – ) : 0 %

Reference:
EU Taxation and Customs Union
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en
TARIC measure information Area: Japan – JP 0902 Tea, whether or not flavoured
TARIC measure information Area: Japan – JP 2101
Japan Customs
輸出統計品目表（2024年1月版）
第2部　植物性生産品 第9類　コーヒー、茶、マテ及び香辛料
https://www.customs.go.jp/yusyutu/2024_01_01/data/j_09.htm 
第4部　調製食料品、飲料、アルコール、食酢、たばこ及び製造たばこ代用品第
21類　各種の調製食料品
https://www.customs.go.jp/yusyutu/2017_4/data/j_21.htm

5. Tariff rate on green tea and genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) to UK and HS code (as of April 2024)

Green tea
0902 1000 00
Green tea (not fermented) in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3 kg: 2.0%, Japan Tariff preference 0%
https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/0902100000
0902 2000 00
Other green tea (not fermented): Japan Tariff preference 0%
https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/commodities/0902200000

Reference:
UK Integrated Online Tariff
https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/find_commodity