Can Coffee and Tea Be Shipped to Taiwan? 2026 Quarantine, Origin Restrictions, and Tariffs
- ☕ Coffee can be shipped: roasted beans, drip coffee, and single-serve pour-over packets are subject to a 0% tariff; instant coffee and coffee extracts are subject to 2%. They can also be shipped from China.
- ⚠️ Green coffee beans can germinate and are subject to import regulation code B01 for plant products requiring quarantine. An official phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country is required and is nearly impossible for individuals importing for personal use to obtain.
- 🔴 Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea (partially fermented tea) produced in mainland China are marked MW0, meaning “mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported”. Under Article 7 of the Regulations Governing Permission of Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, they may not be imported into Taiwan through consolidated shipping, postal parcel, or courier.
- ✅ Pu'er tea is an exception: CCC 0902.30.10 and 0902.40.10 do not include MW0, so products from mainland China may be imported at a tariff of 17%.
- 🍵 Instant tea, milk tea powder, and tea extracts under CCC 2101.20 do not include MW0 and can be shipped, but the tariff is as high as 27.5%—more than ten times the 2% tariff on instant coffee.
Tariff rates are taken from the Customs Administration tariff database using 11-digit CCC codes; import regulation codes are taken from the International Trade Administration commodity import and export regulations.
Last updated: 2026-07-30｜Based on: Regulations Governing Permission of Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Plant Protection and Quarantine Act, Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, and Regulations Governing the Declaration, Inspection, Duty and Release of Personal Luggage or Goods of Inward Passengers
Coffee: the quarantine distinction between green and roasted beans
Coffee tariffs are extremely low in Taiwan—the Column I tariff rate for all of heading 0901, covering green and roasted beans, is 0%, while instant coffee and extracts under 2101.11 and 2101.12 are taxed at only 2%. The real threshold is not tax but plant quarantine: whether the beans can still germinate.
Can be shipped: processed products that cannot germinate
- Roasted coffee beans, whose embryos have been deactivated by high-temperature roasting—CCC 0901.21
- Drip coffee and single-serve pour-over packets that have been ground and packaged
- Instant coffee, coffee extracts, and concentrated coffee capsules—CCC 2101.11／2101.12
- The import regulations list only F01 for food import inspection and do not include a plant quarantine code
Restricted: green coffee beans (unroasted)
- Unroasted green beans can germinate and are plant products subject to mandatory quarantine
- The import regulations for CCC 0901.11 include B01: procedures must comply with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency list of animals, plants, and related products subject to quarantine and the applicable quarantine requirements
- An official phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country is required, and the shipment may be imported only after it is declared to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency and passes quarantine
- Personal-use channels usually cannot obtain this certificate, making postal delivery or consolidated shipping of green beans nearly impossible in practice
Practical advice: If you want beans from a particular estate, buy roasted beans instead. They can be shipped normally through consolidated shipping and are still subject to a 0% tariff. If you genuinely need green beans, you must use a commercial import channel and complete formal customs declaration and quarantine procedures. The issue with green beans is quarantine, not tariffs—a distinction that is often misunderstood.
Tea: origin determines whether it can be shipped
The key difference between tea and coffee is that tea is additionally subject to cross-strait trade controls. Taiwan applies a policy of prohibition in principle and permission by exception to goods from mainland China. Under Article 7 of the Regulations Governing Permission of Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, “goods from the Mainland Area shall not be imported into the Taiwan Area except under the circumstances specified in the following subparagraphs.” Only items officially announced as permitted by the competent authority may enter.
What is MW0?
In the commodity import and export regulations, tariff classifications marked with import regulation code MW0 mean that “mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported.” In other words, if the country of origin is mainland China, the goods are not on the permitted import list and cannot be imported through ordinary trade, postal parcel, courier, or consolidated shipping. The same type of product made in another country is not subject to this prohibition.
Origin restrictions and tariffs by type of tea
| Tea type (11-digit CCC) | Column I tariff | May mainland-China-origin goods be imported? |
|---|---|---|
| Green tea (unfermented), in packages of ≤ 3 kg 0902.10.00.00-7 |
17% | Import prohibited |
| Other green tea (unfermented), in packages of > 3 kg 0902.20.00.90-6 |
17% | Import prohibited |
| Partially fermented tea (oolong, Tieguanyin, etc.), in packages of ≤ 3 kg 0902.30.20.00-9 |
25% | Import prohibited |
| Partially fermented tea, in packages of > 3 kg 0902.40.20.00-7 |
22% | Import prohibited |
| Other black tea (fermented), in packages of ≤ 3 kg 0902.30.90.00-4 |
17% | Import prohibited |
| Pu'er tea, in packages of ≤ 3 kg 0902.30.10.00-1 |
17% | Permitted for import |
| Pu'er tea, in packages of > 3 kg 0902.40.10.00-9 |
17% | Permitted for import |
| Instant tea, milk tea powder, tea extracts, and preparations with tea as the principal ingredient 2101.20.00.00-0 |
27.5% | Permitted for import |
Two easily overlooked details: ① Whether each package exceeds 3 kg changes the tariff classification and rate—small packages of partially fermented tea are taxed at 25%, while larger packages are taxed at the lower rate of 22%. ② Even within 0902.30, Pu'er tea is taxed at 17%, partially fermented tea at 25%, and other black tea at 17%. It is incorrect to assume that everything under 0902.30 is taxed at 25%.
For customers using consolidated shipping from China: the only tea categories that can actually be shipped are Pu'er tea and tea products such as instant tea and milk tea powder. Longjing, Biluochun, Tieguanyin, and Lapsang Souchong produced in mainland China cannot be legally imported through consolidated shipping. If the product originates in Taiwan, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, or another country, it is not subject to the MW0 prohibition and may be processed under the ordinary tariff and inspection requirements.
Complete CCC tariff table for coffee and tea
The rates below are Column I general tariff rates from the Ministry of Finance Customs Administration tariff database. The applicable rate remains subject to the customs classification under the 11-digit CCC code. Products from certain countries qualify for preferential Column II rates, such as a 0% tariff on tea from New Zealand and Singapore.
| Item | CCC tariff classification | Tariff | Import regulations | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green coffee beans (unroasted and not decaffeinated) Apply | 0901.11.00.00-7 | 0% | B01 F01 | A phytosanitary certificate is required and is nearly impossible for individuals to obtain |
| Roasted coffee beans, drip coffee, and single-serve pour-over packets Apply | 0901.21.00.00-5 | 0% | F01 | Processed food that can be shipped normally |
| Instant coffee and coffee extracts Apply | 2101.11.00.00-1 | 2% | F01 | Processed food that can be shipped normally |
| Preparations with coffee as the principal ingredient Apply | 2101.12.00.00-0 | 2% | F01 | Includes three-in-one coffee |
| Green tea (≤ 3 kg per package) Apply | 0902.10.00.00-7 | 17% | 465 F01 MW0 | Mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported |
| Partially fermented tea／oolong (≤ 3 kg per package) Apply | 0902.30.20.00-9 | 25% | 465 F01 MW0 | Mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported |
| Partially fermented tea／oolong (> 3 kg per package) Apply | 0902.40.20.00-7 | 22% | 465 F01 MW0 | The tariff rate is lower for larger packages |
| Other black tea (≤ 3 kg per package) Apply | 0902.30.90.00-4 | 17% | 465 F01 MW0 | Mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported |
| Pu'er tea (≤ 3 kg per package) Apply | 0902.30.10.00-1 | 17% | F01 | Does not include MW0; mainland-China-origin goods may be imported |
| Instant tea, milk tea powder, and tea-extract preparations Apply | 2101.20.00.00-0 | 27.5% | F01 | Can be shipped, but the tariff is more than ten times the rate for coffee products |
Import regulation code descriptions
- F01: Food and related products must undergo import inspection in accordance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and related announcements.
- B01: Procedures must comply with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency list of animals, plants, and related products subject to quarantine and the applicable quarantine requirements.
- 465: A certificate of origin issued by the government of the exporting country or country of production must be submitted; however, it is not required for imports intended for personal use that do not exceed 6 kg.
- MW0: Mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported.
Most imported postal parcels with a customs value below NT$2,000 are exempt from customs duty and business tax, so a single package of coffee or a small quantity of tea usually incurs no tax. However, tax exemption does not mean exemption from import regulations—MW0, B01, 465, and other requirements are not waived merely because the value is low.
Traveller hand-carry vs consolidated shipping and postal delivery: do not confuse the two regimes
The widely circulated online limit of “1 kg of tea and 6 kg in total” actually applies to hand-carried goods brought by inbound travellers. It comes from the table attached to Article 4 of the Regulations Governing the Declaration, Inspection, Duty and Release of Personal Luggage or Goods of Inward Passengers and does not apply to consolidated shipping or postal parcels. These are separate regimes with entirely different conditions.
Hand-carried by inbound travellers
- Each type of tea must not exceed 1 kg, and the combined weight of agricultural, livestock, and aquatic products must not exceed 6 kg.
- Goods from mainland China are subject to additional special rules: tea is limited to 1 kg, each type of canned food is limited to 6 cans, and the combined weight must still remain within 6 kg.
- There is a traveller exception for tea produced in mainland China: Article 7, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 10 of the Regulations Governing Permission of Trade includes among permitted imports “articles approved by the Ministry of Finance and announced by Customs as permissible for inbound travellers to carry into the country.”
- Quantities exceeding these limits require an import permit issued by the International Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Consolidated shipping, postal parcels, and courier
- The traveller exception under Subparagraph 10 does not apply—it is limited to goods “carried into the country by inbound travellers,” so postal delivery, courier, and consolidated shipping are all excluded.
- Therefore, mainland-China-origin green tea, black tea, and oolong tea marked MW0 cannot be imported through consolidated shipping, regardless of how small the quantity is.
- Tea originating outside mainland China may be shipped normally under regulation 465; a certificate of origin is not required when the import is for personal use and does not exceed 6 kg.
- Coffee products, including roasted beans produced in China, are not subject to MW0 and may be shipped normally through consolidated shipping.
- Items requiring inspection must go through formal customs clearance: if the tariff line requires animal or plant quarantine (B01) or TFDA import inspection (F01), the simplified clearance used by air express and sea express does not apply — formal clearance is required, and goods already held in an express warehouse must first be transferred to a general warehouse.
Common misunderstanding: “I am only shipping 200 grams for myself, so it should be fine, right?” Quantity limits and the permitted import list are separate matters. MW0 determines “whether the goods may enter,” not “how much may enter.” A small quantity for personal use does not turn a prohibited item into a permitted import.
Personal-use food inspection exemptions and resale prohibition
According to an announcement by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, food imported from abroad by individuals for personal, non-commercial use may be released directly by Customs when it meets the following conditions and is exempt from an import inspection application to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration:
- General food, excluding food in tablet or capsule form: the value of each individual item must be ≤ US$1,000 and its weight must be ≤ 6 kg. Roasted coffee and tea fall within this category.
- Food in tablet or capsule form: no more than 12 bottles of each type, including boxes, cans, packets, or bags, no more than 36 bottles in total, and only in the original packaging. This standard applies to coffee tablets and tea tablets.
Food imported under an inspection exemption may not be sold
Food imported under a personal-use inspection exemption must not enter the market for sale. Violations are deemed noncompliant under Article 30, Paragraph 1 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and are punishable under Article 47 of the same Act by a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$3,000,000. Sellers intending to purchase products for resale must complete the formal import inspection process and may not use the personal-use inspection exemption channel.
Inspection exemption ≠ quarantine exemption or exemption from import regulations. Green coffee beans must still comply with B01 plant quarantine requirements, tea produced in mainland China remains subject to MW0, and tea that is not for personal use or exceeds the quantity limit still requires a certificate of origin under 465. These three controls operate independently; satisfying one does not automatically waive the others.
Frequently asked questions about shipping coffee and tea to Taiwan
Legal basis and official sources
Before importing, check again using the product ingredients, processing status, country of origin, quantity, and 11-digit CCC code. This page is a summary and cannot replace a determination by the competent authority.
- Articles 7 and 8 of the Regulations Governing Permission of Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (regulation code Q0040002): goods from the Mainland Area are prohibited from import in principle, except for officially announced permitted items and exceptions such as goods carried by travellers.
- Table attached to Article 4 of the Regulations Governing the Declaration, Inspection, Duty and Release of Personal Luggage or Goods of Inward Passengers: each type of tea carried by an inbound traveller must not exceed 1 kg, and the combined weight of agricultural, livestock, and aquatic products must not exceed 6 kg.
- Article 30, Paragraph 1 and Article 47 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation: food imported under a personal-use inspection exemption may not be sold; violations are punishable by a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$3,000,000.
- International Trade Administration commodity import and export regulations: import regulation codes B01 for animal and plant quarantine, 465 for a certificate of origin with an exemption for personal-use quantities of no more than 6 kg, and MW0 meaning mainland-China-origin goods are NOT permitted to be imported.
- Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China: Regulations Governing Permission of Trade Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area
- Customs-Port-Trade Single Window: tariff rates and import/export regulations lookup
- Taiwan Food and Drug Administration: inspection exemptions for food imported for personal use
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture: plant import quarantine requirements
Ship roasted coffee, Pu'er tea, and tea products to Taiwan with confidence
Roasted beans, drip coffee, instant coffee, and permitted tea products can be shipped normally through consolidated shipping. Our Taiwan-based customs declaration team assists with tariff classification and customs clearance, with taxes and fees charged at cost and invoiced. Register to obtain your consolidated-shipping warehouse address.
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