A Japanese matcha farmer opens a U.S. outpost.
Daiki Tanaka, who grows and sells matcha in Japan, meets many of his U.S. customers during tours and tastings at his 10 acre farm, d:matcha, near Kyoto.
But the end of the de minimis exemption earlier this year meant many of his shipments to the United States now carried a 15 percent tariff. He responded by creating a U.S. subsidiary to import his tea and distribute it, absorbing the tariff for American customers who make up his biggest direct-to-consumer market. “The connection is important, so that’s why the tariff thing is really — it makes it a bit more complicated,” Mr. Tanaka said.
Roby Behrens of Fremont, Calif., drinks a cup of matcha every morning; he and his girlfriend have ordered from d:matcha for several years and even visited the farm in 2023.
“We haven’t bought it since the tariffs and we might not,” Mr. Behrens said.
Lauren Purvis, founder of Mizuba Tea Company in Portland, Ore., imported over 20 tons of matcha from small farms and producers in Japan last year. This year, tariffs have cost her over $110,000, Ms. Purvis said, and the trade policy has led to big delivery delays: She had over $120,000 worth of Japanese matcha, shipped in August and September, stuck in Kentucky. She’s still waiting for about half that inventory.