Since March 2024, every organic tea consignment entering the United States must carry an electronic NOP Import Certificate. Here is what that means for your paperwork — and your timing.
Published 2026-10-01 · 6 min read
The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule changed the game for organic imports. Before 19 March 2024 the paper import certificate was optional in many cases. After that date, every certified-organic shipment entering the United States must be associated with an electronic NOP Import Certificate issued by an accredited certifying agent — and the penalties for getting it wrong are severe.
It is a transaction document, not the same thing as an operation certificate. Do not confuse the two:
| Operation certificate | NOP Import Certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Proof the farm or business is a certified organic operation | A per-shipment document covering quantity and origin of one consignment |
| Identifier | 10-digit NOP ID | 21-character ID (19 digits + 2 dashes) |
| Issued by | The certifier, in the Organic Integrity Database | The exporter's certifier, in INTEGRITY, before export |
One certificate is issued per commodity, product or HTS code. A certifier may, under its own oversight, issue a certificate covering multiple shipments or a defined period — which is how high-frequency importers keep the paperwork manageable.
This is the part to take seriously. Since 1 October 2025, a certified-organic shipment arriving in the United States without a valid associated NOP Import Certificate cannot simply be fixed after the fact. The options available are re-export, destruction, or restricted donation.
A PDF copy emailed to you is not proof. The live record in the Organic Integrity Database, correctly associated with the shipment in ACE, is what counts. Confirm the certificate is issued before the goods leave the port of export — not while they are in transit.
Our Organic and Ancient-tree Organic grades are certified to USDA Organic (NOP) by our certified partner facility, whose certificate was issued by Ecocert SAS — a certifier accredited by the USDA and one that operates within the NOP framework. The certificate covers eight finished-tea categories, including raw and ripe pu-erh, black tea and white tea, at 100% organic, and it is verifiable in the USDA Organic Integrity Database.
The NOP Import Certificate for a specific shipment is a transaction document issued per consignment at the time of export — we coordinate it through our certified partner facility as part of the export paperwork, alongside the commercial invoice and packing list. Ask us to walk you through exactly which document applies to your order.
This article summarises USDA guidance as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your certifier and customs broker before you contract.
China Organic, USDA NOP and EU Organic are three different claims — see which one your market needs. Read →
Send us your target grade, volume and destination. We will tell you which certificate applies to your order and how the paperwork flows. A real person replies within 24 hours on working days.
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