Skip to content
May 22, 2019

How To Import Tea, Coffee, and Spices into the U.S.

How To Import Tea, Coffee, and Spices into the U.S.

FDA regulations for importing tea, coffee, and spices to the U.S.
 

Imports of tea, coffee, and spices are subject to inspection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which may accept or deny entry of the goods into the country. 

FDA Regulations For Importing Tea, Coffee, and Spices

To determine the proper way to label your products with respect to ingredients, nutrition, content, etc., we recommend you contact the FDA at 1-888-723-3366 or 1-888-463-6332. 

There are no restrictions or quotas on tea, spices, or coffee whether bottled, packaged, or brewed. 

There is no limit to the amount of these products you can import into the U.S., but some products that contain these ingredients (e.g. sauces, syrups, soups, etc.) may have restrictions or special duty fees. If you are importing any of these items, it might be best to consult an Import Specialist at your local port of entry

Adhering to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule

"The Harmonized Tariff Schedule" will list the duty fees and harmonized codes for coffee, tea and many spices in Chapter 9. Other spices can be found in Chapter 12. Instant coffee and products containing coffee are in Chapter 21. 

When reading this document, note that countries with normal trade relations with the U.S. are eligible for the duty rates in Column One, unless there is an international trade agreement that allows duty-free importation of your goods. (i.e. GSP, NAFTA, etc.) For more information on these types of agreements, please see the International Agreements section.

If you have any trouble determining the appropriate duty rates or harmonized codes, contact an Import Specialist for help.

 

Latest Articles

NEws

Court Decision on Tariff Authority: Summary for U.S. Importers

In a pivotal ruling, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) has struck down the controversial “Liberation Day” tariffs introduced unde...

May 29, 2025

NEws

Vietnam Tariff Update - May 23, 2025

The 46% reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese imports has been suspended from April 10 to July 9, 2025, during which only the 10% baseline tariff...

May 23, 2025

NEws

US Tariff Update - May 12, 2025

On May 12, the U.S. and China announced a 90-day suspension of key tariffs, cutting rates from 145% to 30% to allow room for continued nego...

May 12, 2025