Global Matcha Wave: Buyers Turn East – Can You Handle These Orders?
2026-08-27 to 2026-08-27
In 2025, Japan’s green tea exports (including matcha) surpassed 12,600 tonnes for the first time, soaring 43% year‑on‑year and marking a record high for the sixth consecutive year. One might assume that greater volumes would translate into more abundant supply.
Yet the reality is different: century‑old tea shops in Uji have begun rationing purchases, and the price of high‑end matcha has been driven to nearly USD 170 per tin – three to five times higher than five years ago. According to a report by Channel NewsAsia on 16 August, US importers have even noted that “inventory that used to last a month is now running out in a matter of days.”
Exports hit new highs, but buyers find it increasingly difficult to secure stock – the incremental volume has been diluted by frantic buying from multiple directions. Behind this lies a global supply chain that is being fundamentally rewritten.
Supply Side: Traditional Origins Put on the Brakes
Japan is most deeply associated with matcha, but tencha production remains labour‑intensive, land is limited, and climate change adds further pressure. As a result, the supply of premium matcha continues to tighten – prices rise, lead times lengthen, and some markets face additional tariffs. After careful calculation, buyers are now seriously exploring “second sourcing” options: rather than staking entire product lines on a single region’s harvest, a strategy of “primary suppliers plus complementary suppliers” is becoming the standard approach in international procurement.
Demand Side: The Pie Keeps Growing
According to data from the China Tea Marketing Association, the global matcha market exceeded USD 4.7 billion in 2025. Grand View Research forecasts that by 2030, annual global demand will reach 20,000 tonnes, with consumption value around USD 7.4 billion, maintaining a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8%. Demand is not the issue – supply is.
The baton has already been passed to China.
Chinese Matcha: No Longer a “Cheap Alternative”
Many food companies still perceive Chinese matcha as the “cheap and plentiful” option of a few years ago, but the 2025 data tell a different story.
According to the China Tea Marketing Association, China’s matcha output exceeded 12,000 tonnes in 2025, accounting for 70% of global supply. In that same year, Guicha Group produced and sold 2,500 tonnes of matcha, with more than half exported to over 50 countries and regions – including Japan. As reported by Dongjing News on 7 August, Guicha’s matcha exports cover 54 countries and hold a 20% share of the global high‑quality matcha market.
Note that this is 20% of the “high‑quality” market – not low‑price bulk volume.
What deserves even more attention is the shift in export unit prices. According to Tianyan News on 7 August, China’s overall tea exports in the first half of 2026 showed a “volume decrease, value increase” trend – total volume dipped slightly by 2.5%, while total value rose by 5.6%. Guizhou province is a particularly striking example: its average export price reached USD 6.94 per kilogram, up 28.4% year‑on‑year, ranking second nationwide. The share of high‑value‑added products such as matcha and tencha has risen markedly, while the proportion of low‑end bulk green tea is declining.
What does this signify? China’s tea exports are shifting from a “volume‑driven” model to a “quality‑for‑value” approach. If your products can ride this wave, the export profit margins will be incomparable to those of just a few years ago.
