🇺🇸 United States · FOOD ENTRY
Can I bring tea into United States?
Distinguish pure tea leaves from herbal blends.
Personal travel from overseas. Hawaii and other destinations may have additional conditions.
Last checked · Official sources
Before you pack
- Products consisting solely of Camellia sinensis leaves may enter
Seeds, citrus and bark ingredients have separate conditions.
Check every condition against your package, then follow the declaration guidance.
Which products does this cover?
Plain tea leaves differ from blends with seeds, fruit peel or herbs.
You can find this guide using: tea · green tea · black tea · herbal tea.
Check your actual package
- Exact ingredients and manufacturing origin
- Processing, original packaging and storage label
United States food declaration
Declare food and agricultural products to CBP. Keep the original packaging and origin information for inspection.
U.S. food declaration guidance ↗Common questions
Can I bring tea into United States?
Distinguish pure tea leaves from herbal blends. Products consisting solely of Camellia sinensis leaves may enter
Do I need to declare tea?
△ Declare. Declare food and agricultural products to CBP. Keep the original packaging and origin information for inspection.
Does putting it in checked baggage change food-entry rules?
Food-entry checks still apply to baggage entering the country. Follow the conditions above; airline and airport-security baggage rules are a separate check.
What distinction matters for this food?
Seeds, citrus and bark ingredients have separate conditions.
Official rule & review date
USDA APHIS · U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Check official rules ↗USDA APHIS — Coffee, Tea, Honey, Nuts and SpicesLast checked: 2026.10.03
Entry rules can depend on ingredients, origin, processing and current biosecurity conditions. The destination authority makes the final decision.