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How to Import Organic Japanese Tea to Malaysia (2026 Updated)
Updated July 2026: This guide has been revised to reflect Malaysia's current import rules, including the FoSIM food-import registration run by the Ministry of Health, the 0% import duty on green tea under the Customs Duties Order 2022, tea's continued sales-tax exemption under the Sales Tax (Goods Exempted from Sales Tax) Order 2025 (effective 1 July 2025), the post-Fukushima radiation surveillance regime that replaced any outright ban, and the new AKPS border agency being rolled out through 2026.
Coffee has been the epitome of most mornings and evenings in Malaysia. However, this popularity is getting overshadowed by tea. Many Malaysian cafes have now started to provide tea. They even make specialty offerings where tea is served with desserts and other fusion drinks. As of now, tea is giving an extremely tough time to the coffee market in Malaysia. A lot of people want to try new stuff and test their palates. So, in this case, what can be a better option other than organic Japanese tea?
Why should you go for Japanese tea?
If you want something rich in taste and flavor, Japanese tea is your calling. Japanese tea dates back to the 8th century when it first came into being. The prime reason behind the success of this flavorsome invention was its manufacturing process.
The leaves go through an oxidation process that not only retains the color of the leaves but their flavor as well. Because of such fine quality, over 70% of people consume Japanese tea daily, while almost 90% of people drink this tea once or twice a week. Now, you get why this drink is one of the most consumed beverages in the entire world?
Suffice it is to say that Japanese tea will help you make your mark in the Malaysian tea market. But, how can you import this finest product to Malaysia?
How to import organic Japanese tea to Malaysia?
Every country has its own sets of rules and regulations in order to import a product into the premises of the country. If you’re willing to import organic Japanese tea to Malaysia, you need to go through a certain mandatory procedure. It is important that you learn everything thoroughly so that you can save yourself from getting rejected by the customs officials of Malaysia.
If you’re importing goods into the country, the first thing to know is that tea counts as a low-risk food, so it does not need a product-specific import permit. What you do need is a properly registered business. Register your company with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), and register with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) for a customs registration number. Food importers must also register in the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety Information System (FoSIM), operated by the Food Safety and Quality Division (FSQD), and lodge each import declaration through it. From February 2025, a new Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) has been consolidating the entry-point checks previously run by the MOH and MAQIS, starting at 22 of Malaysia’s checkpoints and rolling out to all entry points through 2026. There are certain other documents that you will need to present to the customs officials.
Once all your documents and import declaration clear out, you can freely consume or sell your organic Japanese tea in the country.
Customs and Import Duty in Malaysia
The cost of your imports will be calculated with respect to the customs or import duty being set up by the government of Malaysia. The taxes will be applicable to the total sum of the product cost, insurance cost, and shipment cost.
The table below shows the import duty rates of importing tea to Malaysia.
Note that green tea (HS 0902.10 and 0902.20) carries a 0% MFN import duty under Malaysia’s Customs Duties Order 2022, in force since 1 June 2022, so it enters Malaysia duty-free without any preference claim. Black or fermented tea (HS 0902.30 and 0902.40) has a 5% MFN rate, but that too falls to 0% for Japan-origin tea under the Malaysia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (MJEPA) when a valid Certificate of Origin is presented.
Business Number Registration
A business registration number is a number that is primarily used to verify a company. It consists of a unique set of 12 numbers which is different for each company. For example, a company may have the registration number 202005123456. In this number:
- The first four digits are used to represent the registration year
- The next two numbers represent the type of your business entity
- The last six digits are the sequence of your business registration number which is unique for every company
All the matters related to the company can be verified through this business number. In Malaysia, you can acquire a business registration number through the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM). It is also, sometimes, referred to as SSM in Malay abbreviation.
A business registration number is inscribed on the certificate of incorporation, and it is proof that a company is legally registered in Malaysia. This number can also help you in acquiring an import permit in order to import products into the country. Thus, if you want to import organic Japanese tea to Malaysia, make sure your company is registered.
FAQs
What kind of documents do you need to present to the customs officials of Malaysia?
When you import goods into the country, you need to provide the following documents to the customs officials.
- Customs Import Declaration
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of origin
- Commercial invoice; and
- Packing List
How can you calculate the import duty tax on your import?
In order to calculate the import duty tax on your import, you need to know the HS code of your product. In the case of green tea, the HS code sits under heading 09.02, specifically 0902.10 and 0902.20 for unfermented green tea (black or fermented tea falls under 0902.30 and 0902.40).
Now, imagine if you’re importing organic Japanese tea in bulk quantity. The total cost of your import comes out to be MY$15,000 with the insurance cost of MY$7,000.
Now, this value exceeds the usual threshold, so you would normally expect duty on the total. In practice, though, green tea is duty-free, so the import duty on a shipment valued at MY$22,000 (MY$15,000 for the tea plus MY$7,000 insurance) is MY$0. There is also no VAT or GST to add on top: Malaysia abolished GST in 2018 and replaced it with the Sales and Service Tax, and tea under HS heading 09.02 is exempt from sales tax (0%). Only instant tea and tea extracts (HS heading 21.01) are taxed, at 5%.
How can you obtain your business registration number?
It takes two major steps to register a company in Malaysia. Let us go through each of them one by one.
1. Choose the structure of your business.
In Malaysia, there are seven business entities from which you can choose. These are:
- Sole Proprietorship
- Limited Liability Partnership
- Public Limited Company
- Representative Office
- Partnership
- Private Limited Company
- Branch Office
When you’re done deciding your business entity, it’s time that you move forward and choose the name of your company. Make sure that the name of your company isn’t already taken or somewhat similar to the already existing ones. For this, you’ll have to run a name check with the SSM. This will be a preliminary check, and once you’re done with it, you can submit the reservation of your company name to SSM. If your company name is approved, it will be reserved.
2. Registration of your company with the SSM
After your company name is approved, you need to register your business with the SSM within 30 days. To register your company, you’ll need to provide the following documents:
- Constitution (optional)
- Compliance Declaration
- Declaration by a promoter or director of the company before the appointment
All the related authorities will review your application. If it gets approved, a Notice of Registration will be issued by SSM. You will receive your notice on the email that you used to register your company with. You will also receive your business registration number along with the date of registration. Once all this procedure is completed, you can purchase your certificate of incorporation which will cost you MY$20.00.
Is there any radiation or Fukushima-related restriction on importing Japanese tea?
No. Malaysia has never restricted Japanese food by prefecture, and it did not impose a ban after Japan began releasing treated water from Fukushima in August 2023. The Ministry of Health instead stepped up radioactive surveillance sampling of higher-risk Japanese food at the point of entry. The older 2011-era requirement for a prefecture proof-of-origin or radioactivity certificate has since lapsed. The main green-tea regions (Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Uji in Kyoto, Mie and Fukuoka) were never on any restricted list, so the most your shipment is likely to face is the occasional border sample.
Can you label and sell JAS-certified Japanese tea as “organic” in Malaysia?
Not on the Japanese JAS mark by itself. Malaysia’s organic-labelling rules require a foreign organic certificate to be recognised or approved by the Department of Agriculture (DOA), which runs the voluntary myOrganic scheme built on Malaysian Standard MS 1529. There is no automatic equivalence between Japan’s JAS system and Malaysia. You can still import and sell the tea without limits; you simply cannot describe it as “organic” on the packaging until the DOA accepts the underlying certification.
Does Japanese tea need halal certification?
No. Halal certification is mandatory only for meat and other animal-based products, and tea is inherently halal, so it can be imported and sold without it. Even so, in a Muslim-majority market a halal certificate from JAKIM (the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) carries real commercial weight, and many retailers expect one. If you rely on a foreign halal mark, make sure it comes from a certifier that JAKIM recognises.
Is any sales tax or GST charged on imported tea?
Malaysia scrapped GST in 2018 and moved to the Sales and Service Tax (SST). Loose-leaf and packaged tea under HS heading 09.02 is exempt from sales tax (0%), and that exemption carried straight into the new Sales Tax (Goods Exempted from Sales Tax) Order 2025, which took effect on 1 July 2025. The July 2025 revision widened the tax net to premium items such as salmon and truffles, but tea was left out. Only instant tea and tea extracts (HS heading 21.01) are taxed, at 5%. Service tax (8% since 1 March 2024) applies to services rather than to the tea goods themselves.
Conclusion
Today, the tea market of Malaysia is booming. Every individual wants to have a taste of this luxurious drink, and they won’t rest until they find that perfect flavor. Organic Japanese tea is one of the finest quality teas in the entire world. It has the most perfect balance of flavor, color, and quality – the balance that every Malaysian is hunting for.
Therefore, if you want your tea business to thrive in Malaysia, this may be the perfect time to import this marvelous invention. However, make sure you’ve thoroughly analyzed the import requirements before you start importing these goods in Malaysia.
Need Assistance on Japanese Tea Importation?
This shipping and importation of Japanese tea in your country have been a long-standing service that we offer. Therefore, if you are interested in Japanese Tea importation either as a business or you simply want to have a taste of quality, authentic Japanese tea, you may contact us through this website, and we are more than happy to assist you. Click here to contact Green Tea Merchant.
Importing Organic Japanese Tea to Malaysia — FAQ
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About the author
Kei Nishida
Author, CEO Dream of Japan
Certification: PMP, BS in Computer Science
Education: Western Washington University