FDA Food Facility Registration for Matcha Tea Manufacturers: Japan Export Requirements 2026

Every week I connect Japanese matcha suppliers with buyers in the United States, and the question I hear most often from suppliers — not importers, but the Japanese processors themselves — is: "Do we need to register with FDA to export to America?"

The short answer is almost certainly yes. The longer answer depends on exactly what your facility does. This guide walks through the registration requirement in plain language for Japanese green tea and matcha businesses that want to enter or expand in the US market.

Why FDA Registration Exists for Japanese Matcha Facilities

The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 (formally, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act) established the requirement for foreign food facilities to register with the FDA before any of their food products can enter the United States. This was later reinforced and expanded by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011.

The practical effect: a Japanese matcha processor that has not registered with FDA cannot export to the US. If an unregistered facility ships matcha to the US, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is required to refuse admission of the shipment. FDA Prior Notice — which is required separately for each shipment — cannot be completed correctly without the facility's FDA registration number.

Who Must Register: Matcha Facilities

FDA facility registration applies to any facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States. For the matcha supply chain, this means:

The most important point for matcha businesses: The exemption for raw agricultural commodities applies to farms growing tencha — but not to the processing step. If your facility stone-grinds tencha into matcha powder, you are a food processor and you must register, regardless of how small your operation is.

What Information Is Needed for Registration

Before starting the registration process, gather the following:

• Facility name — in English (exactly as it will appear on export documents)
• Facility address — in English, including city, prefecture, postal code, Japan
• Owner/operator name and contact information
• Emergency contact for FDA to reach
• Type of activities — manufacturer, processor, packer, repacker, warehouse/holder
• Product categories — for matcha: select "Tea and Coffee" and/or "All Other Food" depending on what you produce
• US Agent name, mailing address, phone, and email — required; see section below
• Fiscal year-end date — for the facility

The US Agent Requirement: What It Means for Japanese Matcha Exporters

Every foreign food facility registered with the FDA must designate a US Agent. This is a person or legal entity located in the United States who:

• Serves as FDA's point of contact for the facility
• Receives FDA correspondence on behalf of the facility
• Assists FDA in scheduling inspections if requested
• Must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Must reside in or maintain a physical office in the United States

The US Agent does not need to be a lawyer or compliance specialist — it can be your US importer, a business partner in the US, or a third-party US Agent service (several companies specialize in this for foreign food exporters, typically charging $100–$400/year).

I've seen Japanese matcha businesses list their US customer as the US Agent. That works fine — as long as the contact information is current and the person is actually available to respond to FDA inquiries. Using a third-party US Agent service is more reliable, especially for smaller exporters whose US buyer relationships may change over time.

Step-by-Step: How to Register a Japanese Matcha Facility with FDA

1. Go to the FDA Industry Systems portal
   Access industry.fda.gov and create an account (if you don't have one). Select "Food Facility Registration."
2. Select "Register a Foreign Facility"
   Choose your country (Japan) and begin entering facility information.
3. Enter facility details in English
   Use English throughout. The name and address you register must match exactly what appears on your export documents — bill of lading, commercial invoice, Certificate of Origin. Mismatches cause Prior Notice errors.
4. Select product categories
   For matcha: choose "Tea and Coffee" as the primary category. If you also process other food products, add those categories. Be thorough — omitting a category that you actually produce creates compliance risk.
5. Designate a US Agent
   Enter the name, US mailing address, phone, and email of your US Agent. The US Agent must be in the US — entering a Japanese contact here is a common and costly error.
6. Submit and receive your registration number
   Registration is processed immediately. You will receive a FDA Food Facility Registration Number — a 10- or 11-digit number. Save this. It must be included in every Prior Notice filing for your shipments.

Biennial Renewal: The Most Common Compliance Failure

FDA food facility registration expires if not renewed. Renewal is required during the October 1 – December 31 window of every even-numbered year:

If a facility misses the renewal window, its registration is automatically cancelled. Shipments from a cancelled facility are subject to refusal at the US border. Reinstatement requires filing a new registration, but any shipments that arrived after the cancellation date may still be subject to enforcement action.

The October–December window overlaps with the busy export season for matcha (before Christmas and before the Japanese New Year). I strongly recommend setting a calendar reminder for September 15 each even-numbered year to start the renewal process early.

FDA Registration Under FSMA: Additional Requirements for Large Exporters

If your matcha facility also exports to the US above certain thresholds, FSMA's Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) may impose additional obligations on your US importer. FSVP requires US importers to verify that foreign suppliers are producing food in a manner that provides the same level of public health protection as FDA standards.

In practice, this means US importers of Japanese matcha are increasingly asking for:

• Copy of FDA facility registration (confirmation page)
• Recent Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for pesticide residues and heavy metals
• HACCP plan or documentation of hazard analysis
• Third-party audit reports (SQF, BRC, or equivalent) — not legally required but increasingly requested by US distributors

Japanese matcha producers in Uji and Yame typically already have rigorous quality documentation — this is a genuine competitive advantage over Chinese tea producers when selling to quality-conscious US buyers. Having your FDA registration and CoA documentation organized and ready to share shortens sales cycles significantly.

FDA Registration Suspension: When It Happens and How to Avoid It

Under FSMA, the FDA has authority to suspend a facility's registration if there is a reasonable probability that food from that facility would cause serious adverse health consequences or death. During a suspension:

• All food from the facility is prohibited from entering the US
• Any food already in the US distribution chain from that facility may be subject to recall
• The suspension is public — it appears in FDA's database and will be visible to all US buyers

Suspension is rare and typically triggered by a serious recall event or FDA inspection findings. For a properly operated Japanese matcha facility following MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) standards, suspension risk is low. The more common failure mode is simple administrative lapse — missing the biennial renewal. Don't let administrative oversight create a compliance problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my matcha tea farm need to register with FDA?

If your farm only grows and harvests tencha leaf without processing it into matcha powder, you are generally exempt as a raw agricultural commodity producer. However, the facility that stone-grinds tencha into matcha must register. If your farm also mills the matcha, you must register.

How do I register my Japanese matcha facility with the FDA?

Online through industry.fda.gov, at no cost. Select "Food Facility Registration" and register as a foreign facility. Have your US Agent information ready before you start. Registration is completed immediately and you receive a registration number right away.

When does FDA food facility registration need to be renewed?

During October 1 – December 31 of every even-numbered year (2026, 2028, etc.). Missing this window cancels your registration and blocks your exports to the US until reinstatement.

What is a US Agent and who can serve as one?

A US Agent is a US-based contact for the FDA. It can be your US importer, a business partner in the US, or a third-party compliance service. They must be available 24/7 and must have a US mailing address. Annual cost for third-party services is typically $100–$400.

Can FDA suspend my matcha facility's registration?

Yes, under FSMA, if FDA determines a serious health risk. During suspension, no food from your facility can enter or remain in the US market. For well-operated facilities, suspension risk is low — the more common issue is administrative lapse (missing biennial renewal).

What information do I need to register a Japanese matcha facility with FDA?

Facility name and address in English, owner/operator contact, activity type (processor, packer, etc.), product categories, and US Agent contact information. The name and address must match your export documents exactly.

Karen Hashimoto

Founder & Export Compliance Director · WAGYU NINJA

Karen supports Japanese matcha producers with FDA compliance documentation and connects them with US buyers ready for a compliant, reliable supplier. Based in Fukuoka, Japan. @konnichiwa.karen