Pu-erh
Pu-erh is tea from the large leaf Camellia sinensis variety assamica grown in Yunnan, processed into a sun dried base called maocha and then either left to age slowly or put through an accelerated wet piling fermentation. The two resulting products are different goods. Raw pu-erh, sheng, is maocha that has been steamed and pressed or left loose, and changes over years and decades of storage as microbial and oxidative activity work on it. Ripe pu-erh, shou, is maocha piled under controlled heat and humidity for weeks so that the same transformation is forced in a single production run. Both are sold loose or compressed into cakes, bricks, tuo and other forms, each stamped with the producer, the recipe and the year. Pu-erh is unusual among teas in that storage history is part of the specification and in that vintage and provenance carry a large part of the value.
Listed pu-erh markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Pu-erh is graded by type, raw or ripe, by maocha leaf grade, by compression form and net weight, and by production year, pressing batch and storage history.
Type and fermentation
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| ShengRaw pu-erh | Sun dried maocha, steamed and pressed or left loose, with no wet piling. Changes over years of storage. |
| ShouRipe pu-erh | Maocha wet piled under controlled heat and humidity so that fermentation is completed during manufacture. |
| Wet piling durationDays | The number of days the shou pile was held. Declared on the contract, along with the number of turns. |
| Pile fermentation degreeLight, medium or heavy | How far the pile was taken. Declared, as it governs the character of the finished tea. |
| Maocha dryingSun dried or oven dried | Genuine pu-erh base is sun dried, shai qing. Oven or machine dried base will not age and must be declared as such. |
| Fixing temperatureWok fixing | Pu-erh maocha is fixed at a lower temperature than green tea so that enzyme and microbial activity survive into storage. Declared where the buyer is paying for ageing potential. |
Maocha leaf grade
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gong tingPalace grade | The finest and smallest bud material, used chiefly in shou. Sits above the numbered ladder. |
| Grade 1Fine leaf | Bud and first leaf. |
| Grade 3Medium fine leaf | Bud with first and second leaf. |
| Grade 5Medium leaf | Second and third leaf. |
| Grade 7Coarser leaf | Third and fourth leaf, the backbone of many pressed recipes. |
| Grade 9Coarse leaf | Larger mature leaf, used for structure and for brick and tuo pressing. |
| Huang pianYellow leaf | Large mature leaf sorted out of the maocha, sold as a separate line. |
| Stem contentPercentage by mass | Stem left in after sorting, stated on the contract. |
Material and provenance
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| GushuOld tree material | Leaf from old growth trees. The contract states the village, the garden and the basis on which the age is evidenced. |
| Xiaoshu and taidiYounger tree and plantation material | Leaf from younger trees or terraced plantation. Declared as such. |
| Village and mountainNamed origin | Yiwu, Bulang, Banzhang, Jingmai, Bingdao, Xigui, Nannuo and the other named areas. Declared by name. |
| Single origin or blendRecipe declaration | Whether the pressing is single village and single season, or a blended recipe. Blended recipes are declared by their recipe number. |
| Spring, summer or autumn materialPlucking season | Declared with the year. Spring material carries the premium. |
| Producer and pressing batchFactory and batch reference | The factory, the recipe number and the batch code stamped on the wrapper and the nei fei ticket inside the cake. |
Form, weight and storage
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bing chaRound cake | Disc pressing, most commonly 357 grams, also produced at 100, 200 and 400 grams. Net weight stated on the contract. |
| Zhuan chaBrick | Rectangular pressing, commonly 250 or 1000 grams. |
| Tuo chaBowl | Domed pressing, commonly 100 or 250 grams. |
| Loose leafSan cha | Unpressed, sold by weight. |
| Compression tightnessStone pressed or machine pressed | Stone pressing gives a looser cake that ages faster. Declared on the contract. |
| Production yearYear of pressing | Stated as a year. Establishes the vintage. |
| Storage location and conditionsDry or humid storage | Kunming, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and other storage histories produce materially different tea from the same pressing. Declared with the years held in each location, together with the temperature and relative humidity where recorded. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined on the delivered lot. Stated low enough to exclude a cake that has taken up water and is at risk of unwanted mould. |
| Wrapper and ticket integrityDocumentary check | The outer wrapper, the nei fei ticket pressed into the cake and the nei piao slip. Examined and photographed on inspection, because they are the provenance record for the lot. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| China | East Asia | Origin |
| Hong Kong | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Taiwan | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | East Asia | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Myanmar | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Laos | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Russia | Europe | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Oct, arrival Jun to JanYunnan spring plucking from March to May is the sought material. Autumn plucking from September. Maocha is pressed through the year, and aged stock ships from storage at any time. | ||
| Myanmar | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Oct, arrival Jun to JanShan State plucking follows the same spring and autumn pattern as adjacent Yunnan. | ||
| Laos | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Oct, arrival Jun to JanPhongsaly and the northern provinces pluck in spring and autumn. | ||
| Vietnam | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Oct, arrival May to DecHa Giang and the northern highlands produce sun dried large leaf base on the same calendar. | ||
| Taiwan | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecA storage market rather than an origin. Aged stock ships from warehouse at any time. |
| Malaysia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecA storage market. Aged stock ships from warehouse at any time. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for pu-erh. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0902.40 Fermented tea, immediate packings exceeding 3 kg
0902.30 Fermented tea, immediate packings of 3 kg or less - PackingTea in foil lined paper sacks, plywood chests or corrugated cartons of 20 kg to 60 kg. Green coffee in 60 kg or 69 kg jute bags, or 1 t bulk container liners with GrainPro or equivalent barrier for specialty lots. Cocoa in 62.5 kg or 65 kg jute bags.
- Container loading20ft: 18 t to 21 t bagged. 40ft: 24 t to 26 t with a bulk liner. Coffee and cocoa are weight limited, tea is volume limited.
- Contract and arbitrationCoffee on the European Coffee Contract or GCA terms with ICE Futures US as the price reference, arbitration under ECF or GCA rules. Cocoa on Federation of Cocoa Commerce or CMAA contracts with FCC arbitration in London. Tea on the rules of the selling auction centre or on the terms of the importing association.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, where anthraquinone and glyphosate are the recurring tea failures. Ochratoxin A and aflatoxin limits and cadmium limits on cocoa under Regulation 2023/915. EUDR (Regulation 2023/1115) due diligence with plot geolocation applies to cocoa and coffee. US FDA import alerts apply to pesticide residues and to mould.
Common questions
What grades of pu-erh does SIP Global trade?
We quote 29 published grades of pu-erh, including Sheng - Raw pu-erh, Shou - Ripe pu-erh, Wet piling duration - Days, Pile fermentation degree - Light, medium or heavy, Maocha drying - Sun dried or oven dried and Fixing temperature - Wok fixing. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is pu-erh graded?
Pu-erh is graded by type, raw or ripe, by maocha leaf grade, by compression form and net weight, and by production year, pressing batch and storage history. Grading runs on 4 systems: Type and fermentation, Maocha leaf grade, Material and provenance and Form, weight and storage.
Where does SIP Global trade pu-erh?
We trade pu-erh in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam and 12 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is pu-erh harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are China: harvest mar to oct, arrival jun to jan; Myanmar: harvest mar to oct, arrival jun to jan; Laos: harvest mar to oct, arrival jun to jan; Vietnam: harvest mar to oct, arrival may to dec; Taiwan: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for pu-erh?
Pu-erh is normally classified under HS 0902.40 (fermented tea, immediate packings exceeding 3 kg) and HS 0902.30 (fermented tea, immediate packings of 3 kg or less). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for pu-erh?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed pu-erh market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.