MATSUThe short answer: MATSU supplies US cafés, roasters and hotel F&B producer-direct from Japan.
- Eight grades, the full ladder plus freight — priced openly, no quote round-trip
- Minimum 1 kg per grade; volume discounts from 5 kg; partnership terms at 10 kg+
- 7–10 day lead time; tracked EMS direct from Japan
- Start with the $99 Tasting Kit — three flagship grades, credited to your first order
What producer-direct means for a US buyer
Most matcha on the US wholesale market has passed through a blender and a distributor before it reaches your invoice. Each layer adds margin and removes information: by the time a tin lands in a US warehouse, the harvest date is an estimate and the grower is a trade secret.
MATSU works the other way. Each of the eight grades comes from a named growing region — Uji, Kagoshima, or Izumo — and carries a lot code like UJI-26-1F: region, harvest year, first flush, grower batch. You are buying a specific lot from a specific harvest, and you can taste that exact lot before you commit a menu to it.
The three-line import checklist
A US matcha import has three regulatory pieces, and none of them should scare a first-time importer:
- FDA Prior Notice — filed before the shipment moves, not after. Routine for any food import.
- FSVP — as importer of record, you are the on-paper verifier of your foreign supplier.
- HTS 0902 — green tea enters the US at a favourable duty when classified correctly.
We keep the full checklist — who files what, in what order, with which numbers — in the guide: Importing matcha into the USA. MATSU supplies every product and shipment detail those filings need.
Grades for a US menu
The US market is latte-first. That decides where most programs start:
| Program | Tier | Per-cup economics (2 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily matcha lattes, iced programs | Latte tier — the workhorse grades | from ASK per drink |
| Signature drinks, matcha-forward menus | Blend and single-origin mid-tier | ≈ ASK–ASK per drink |
| Ceremonial service, omakase, fine dining | Ceremonial tier from Uji and Izumo | up to ASK per serving |
At 2 g per drink, a kilogram is roughly 500 lattes — so the difference between a entry-band grade and a premium-band grade is about 32 cents per cup. The grade diagnostic turns your menu and volume into a shortlist in four questions; pricing for all eight grades is public on the grades page.
Lead time, shipping, and reorders
Orders dispatch from Japan within 1–2 working days; door-to-door runs typically 7–10 days by tracked EMS. For a first stocking order, plan 7–10 days end-to-end. Matcha ships in sealed aluminium with a 12-month unopened shelf life, so a quarterly reorder rhythm covers most café volumes without freshness compromise. Shipments run up to 30 kg per dispatch; larger volumes ship on a rolling schedule.
Paperwork, honestly
Every shipment carries a commercial invoice, a packing list, and its lot code. A certificate of analysis is available on request — tell us which parameters you need and we agree them before the lot ships. We lead with tasting rather than paperwork, but we will not leave your import desk without what it needs. What we offer instead is the thing paperwork tries to approximate: the actual lot, in your cup, before you order. Our position on this is written up on the quality page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for US buyers?
1 kg per grade. Volume discounts begin at 5 kg, and partnership terms apply from 10 kg. There is no account minimum — a single 1 kg order is a normal way to start.
How long does matcha take to arrive in the United States?
Allow typically 7–10 days from cleared payment to delivery, tracked EMS direct from Japan. For a first stocking order, plan 7–10 days end-to-end; reorders are easier to time because the grade decision is already made.
Who handles FDA Prior Notice and FSVP?
The importer of record — usually you — files Prior Notice and owns FSVP verification. MATSU supplies the shipment and product details those filings need. The full checklist is in our guide to importing matcha into the USA.
Can I taste the actual matcha before committing?
Yes. The Tasting Kit is three flagship grades × 30 g for $99, credited in full to a first order of 1 kg or more. It exists so the decision happens in your kitchen, not in a brochure.
Do you provide a COA or lab documents?
Yes — a certificate of analysis is available on request. Tell us which parameters your import desk needs and we will agree them before the lot ships. We still lead with tasting: every shipment carries a commercial invoice, a packing list, and a lot code (e.g. UJI-26-1F) that traces to region, harvest year, flush, and grower batch, and the grade in your cup is the thing paperwork is trying to approximate.
What does matcha cost per drink?
At 2 g per latte, the eight-grade ladder runs a small, predictable matcha cost per drink ( the full ladder). Most US café programs land at the café workhorse band tier for the daily menu.