Exports of Chinese matcha on the rise

Altogether 36 metric tons of matcha powder from Jiangkou county in Guizhou province, Southwest China, set off for North America recently as the first overseas order of the year.

Sterilized green tea is ground into fine powder by a series of ball mills to produce matcha, which is then added to milk, ice cream and chocolate to lend a light sweetness with a hint of bitterness. At Guizhou Tongren Gui Tea Co Ltd, products such as matcha mooncakes, cakes and noodles are increasingly being prepared for shipment worldwide.

"Guizhou's high altitude, limited sunlight and frequent mist create a unique plateau tea region. With 7 million mu (466,667 hectares) of tea gardens, it is an ideal environment for producing high-quality matcha," said Zhong Jin from the company's general management office.

Matcha, consumed directly unlike traditional tea, demands higher quality standards. According to Zhong, the company's tea plantations are managed under European standards and meet over 500 European Union testing criteria.

The company's flagship product is simply branded as "EU Standards Matcha".

To ensure unified management of the tea fields, the company employs a model that integrates a leading enterprise with allied enterprises and local farmers. The Gui Tea Alliance spans 61 companies in 22 counties, covering 140,000 mu of EU-standard tea gardens, with 80,000 mu dedicated exclusively to matcha. The alliance standardizes cultivation, agricultural inputs and processing techniques.

The local government noted that this model has engaged 100,000 tea farmers in the matcha industry this year.

In 2024, the company sold over 1,200 tons of matcha, generating an output value of 302 million yuan ($41.47 million). Nearly 30 percent of its matcha was exported to 44 countries and regions, including the United States, Singapore, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia and China's Hong Kong.

"Matcha is one of the most popular tea types among young people today, especially as it blends so well into various beverages and foods," Zhong said.

The matcha market is primarily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region and North America. "With the growing trend in healthy foods, the North American market continues to expand. Our first export shipment of the year was sent there," Zhong added.

Despite Guizhou matcha's emerging presence on the international stage, Zhong said that Japanese matcha still dominates the high-end market. Guizhou's brand promotion is still in its early stages.

The company plans to strengthen its brand and launch more market-driven products. "We have established a matcha research institute to segment the market and develop customized products for various needs, including cultural and creative souvenir gifts that highlight Guizhou's regional characteristics," Zhong said.

Liu Boqian contributed to this story.