Bringing Tea into Taiwan as a Traveler: Quantities and Rules
Visiting the tea mountains of Yunnan and bringing back a few cakes for yourself and friends is something many tea lovers dream of. Work out the quantities before you go and getting through arrivals will be easy.
Can You Bring Tea Back to Taiwan from Yunnan?
Yes, but with quantity limits. In the arriving-passenger allowances published by the Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance, tea counts as agricultural, livestock, and fishery products for personal use, and the same applies to tea brought in from mainland China:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Tea | 1 kg per person |
| Total agricultural, livestock, and fishery products | No more than 6 kg per person |
One kilogram is about two 357-gram cakes; bring three and you're over. Cake specs are covered in Qizi Cakes and 357 Grams.
What If You Have More Than 1 Kilogram?
Tea over the limit must, under the rules, be accompanied by an import permit issued by the International Trade Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and declared to customs by going through the red channel (goods to declare) on arrival. Ordinary travelers rarely apply for a permit for tea, so the simplest approach is for each person to stay within 1 kilogram.
A few practical tips:
- Each traveler is counted separately: The limit is per traveler, and you can't pool the whole family's allowance onto one person.
- Keep the original packaging and receipts: This makes it easier for customs to confirm the product name and weight.
- Teaware isn't tea: Zisha (purple clay) teapots and gaiwan are ordinary baggage items, counted separately against the duty-free allowance.
Do You Need to Declare?
Tea within the limit and for your own use can go through the green channel (nothing to declare). If you're over the limit or unsure, go through the red channel and let customs help decide; that's much more reassuring than being found over the limit later.
Can You Resell Tea You Brought Back?
No. Food carried by travelers is for personal use only. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, selling food brought in for personal use in Taiwan violates the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation and can incur a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$3,000,000. Giving it to friends and family to taste is fine; selling it online is not.
Tea Seeds, Seedlings, and Fresh Leaves
Dried finished tea is food; tea seeds, seedlings, and fresh leaves, being live plants or fresh plant products, are subject to plant protection and quarantine rules. The principle announced by customs is that carrying live plants and their fresh products is prohibited, except for those meeting plant quarantine requirements. If you want to bring back seeds from the tea mountain to plant, check first with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture; in most cases it isn't feasible.
Can You Mail Tea Back or Buy Online?
There are two separate questions here:
- Whether the mainland goods can be imported: Pu'er is the only mainland tea category Taiwan has announced as permitted for import. Other mainland teas, such as Longjing or Tieguanyin, aren't permitted even for personal use when imported by mail or express. The background on the opening is in Taiwan's Rules for Importing Pu'er.
- Whether the food needs inspection: Food for personal use, not for sale, valued at US$1,000 or less and weighing 6 kilograms or less, is exempt from applying for import inspection. Beyond that, inspection must be handled according to the rules.
Parcels also involve customs duty and business tax; the duty-free allowance is whatever the Customs Administration has announced at the time. When shipping valuable aged tea, remember to keep proof of purchase and the packaging.
Be Especially Careful with Sun-Dried Maocha
Loose sun-dried maocha bought on the tea mountain often tempts people to bring back a big bag. Under the identification method used by Customs and the Council of Agriculture, sun-dried maocha that has been neither pressed nor pile-fermented is classified as green tea for imported goods, a mainland product not permitted for import. Tea carried by travelers for personal use has a 1-kilogram limit; loose maocha sent back by mail or express may not be admitted because it isn't recognized as pu'er. Maocha is introduced in Sun-Dried Maocha.
After You Bring Tea Home
For tea just brought back from Yunnan, first open the outer plastic bag to let it breathe, and keep it somewhere cool, dark, and free of odors. Taiwan is more humid than Yunnan; storage methods are covered in How to Store Pu'er at Home.
FAQ
How many cakes can I bring back to Taiwan from Yunnan? Each traveler may bring 1 kilogram of tea, about two 357-gram cakes; agricultural, livestock, and fishery products together may not exceed 6 kilograms.
What happens if I bring more than 1 kilogram? Excess tea requires an import permit from the International Trade Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and a declaration at the red channel; the excess without a permit may not be released.
Can I have pu'er I bought online shipped back to Taiwan? Pu'er is a mainland tea category permitted for import; food for personal use, not for sale, under US$1,000 and within 6 kilograms, is exempt from inspection applications, with duties and taxes per Customs Administration rules.
Can I sell tea I brought back myself online? No. Selling food brought in for personal use violates the Food Safety Act and can incur a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$3,000,000.