Matcha Shortage 2025: Global Crisis and Best Substitutes

People have been recently hearing the same surprising question since late last year: is there a matcha shortage, and how serious is it? Some people noticed it first when their usual tins ran out. Others felt it when cafés posted signs saying their matcha drinks were unavailable. A few even wondered, “Is this happening only here, or is there a matcha shortage in Japan too?”

If you’re in foodservice, retail, or anything connected to beverages, you might be asking what caused the matcha shortage and how long this global matcha shortage will last. And if you simply enjoy a quiet cup in the morning, you’re probably looking for good substitutes. This guide walks through the real issues behind the matcha tea supply shortage and what you can use in the meantime.

The matcha industry has always been its own world. You can’t even grow real matcha anywhere and hope it turns out fine. It comes from shade-grown tencha leaves that need time, care, and people who know what they’re doing. Then come the stone mills, which move slowly by design. That’s why regions like Uji, Nishio, Kagoshima, and Shizuoka still hold most of the recognition. They built that reputation over centuries.

As matcha moved from tea ceremony settings into lattes, desserts, and even skincare, the demand curve shifted fast. Some people call it matcha market growth, but it feels more like a wave that never settled. More cafés, more brands, more recipes. And with that came pressure on farmers, processors, and exporters. You can already imagine how this connects to the current matcha shortage and the wider matcha production decline that many producers mention.

China and Korea stepped in with their own styles of green tea powder. They meet part of the need, sure, but the idea of premium matcha still points to Japan. That’s one reason the premium matcha scarcity feels heavier than other shortages. When most of the global identity of a product ties back to one country, even small disruptions can echo across the entire supply chain.

There is a global matcha shortage, and by 2025 the impact feels heavier than what most tea importers or cafés prepared for. Some call it a Japan matcha shortage. Others talk about broader matcha supply chain issues. Both points are true. Farmers are sharing lower harvest numbers, and distributors are warning about tighter allocations. It makes you wonder, “Is there a shortage of matcha everywhere?”

The signs are pretty clear. High-grade farms in Japan report smaller yields and uneven leaf quality. Importers mention delays that stretch far longer than they used to, which creates gaps in supply. A few suppliers even pause new wholesale accounts because they can’t handle fresh demand. That alone shows how real the global matcha shortage has become.

Large chains feel it too. You might have noticed people talking about the Starbucks matcha shortage or the Ippodo matcha shortage. When brands with strong buying power start adjusting their orders, you know the situation isn’t isolated.

And yes, matcha shortage concerns US businesses, European cafés, and even small online shops that rely on stable stock. Whether you run a smoothie bar or you just enjoy a cup at home, this shortage touches you in some way.

🌿 Supply shocks like the 2025 matcha shortage highlight the need for stronger sourcing networks. Torg helps buyers and suppliers connect quickly to find high-quality matcha and substitutes and secure long-term supply. 👉 Sign up now and build a more resilient ingredient strategy.

The causes of matcha shortage 2025 comes from a mix of climate stress, rising demand, limited growing regions, and supply chain slowdowns. Each factor stacks on top of the next. When you look at the whole picture, the shortages, higher prices, and stock gaps make more sense.

Climate Change and Its Impact on Matcha Tea Farms

Climate change affects shade-grown tea. Sudden heat, shorter springs, and heavy rain throw off leaf growth and timing. Farmers in Uji and Nishio mention inconsistent yields and weaker tencha. When the base leaf struggles, premium matcha suffers. It’s a reminder of how fragile this crop can be, especially when the weather refuses to cooperate.

Surging Global Demand for Matcha

The demand climbs fast. Now, you see matcha in lattes, supplements, bakery menus, and even ready-to-drink cans. That matcha demand surge grew faster than farms could keep up with. Cafés that ordered modest amounts before now need more. Brands want steady bulk supply. It raises a question: how do you scale something that takes time, skill, and very specific growing conditions?

Limited Geographic Production

Matcha depends heavily on Japan’s main producing regions. You can’t simply plant fields elsewhere and expect the same flavor or quality. This tight geographic focus turns small disruptions into global problems. When one harvest dips, everyone feels it. It shows how the shortage of matcha links directly to limited production zones and the deep expertise tied to those places.

Supply Chain and Labor Constraints

Matcha supply chain issues add another layer. Import delays push lead times out. Skilled labor is hard to find, especially for careful processing and stone grinding. Mills can only produce so much each day. Freight costs also climb. Put these together and matcha import delays become normal, not occasional. This is why shelves empty faster than they refill.

The matcha shortage touches every corner of the industry. Cafés adjust menus, distributors ration stock, and consumers run into empty shelves. It’s surprising how fast these changes showed up. Some people wonder why one missing ingredient can shake things this much. But when matcha supply dips worldwide, the ripple effect reaches everyone, from home brewers to major chains.

Rising Matcha Prices

The matcha price increase is one of the first things people notice. Prices jump online and in-store, no matter the grade. Retailers try to explain rising costs, yet the real reason comes down to limited harvests and tight supply. When raw leaves are scarce, everything else follows. It makes shoppers ask, “Will this steady climb stop anytime soon?”

Decline in Product Quality

Quality dips are becoming more common. Some brands stretch supply by blending lower-grade powders, which leads to dull color and weak aroma. You might taste it right away. This also fuels fake matcha concerns, especially on big marketplaces. When demand spikes and stock runs thin, it opens the door for products that don’t resemble real matcha at all.

Limited Availability and Out-of-Stock Items

Empty shelves and delayed restocks highlight the matcha shortage. Even Starbucks has adjusted menus or paused matcha drinks, while smaller cafés face faster sell-outs. Online retailers and brands like Ippodo see high demand, showing that tight supply affects everyone, from global chains to local cafés.

Businesses can’t ignore the global matcha shortage anymore. That's why they’re moving fast. Some adjust sourcing, others rework formulas, and a few rethink their entire supply strategy. You’ll notice companies trying new routes just to keep matcha on menus and shelves. It shows how far they need to go when demand stays high and supply keeps narrowing.

Increasing Imports from China and Korea

With Japanese matcha in short supply, many businesses are turning to China and Korea to fill the gaps. China’s larger green tea output helps keep cafés and retailers stocked, even if the flavor differs slightly. Companies are also using sourcing platforms like Torg to find reliable matcha suppliers quickly, ensuring bulk orders are met despite the ongoing global shortage.

Investment in New Tea Farming Technologies

Producers in Japan are testing greenhouse shading, soil sensors, and early-stage automation to stabilize yields. These tools don’t fix the matcha shortage 2025 right away, but they build resilience. It makes sense—if weather patterns keep changing, farms need support. You might ask whether these upgrades can scale quickly enough, though. That’s still unclear.

Brand Transparency and Quality Assurance Measures

More brands are opening up about origin, matcha grade, and how their matcha is processed. It helps ease concerns around fake matcha and inconsistent blends. Certificates and lab reports appear more often now, almost like guardrails for confused buyers. With premium matcha scarcity growing, clear labeling becomes a simple way for companies to keep trust intact.

The matcha shortage Japan pushed a lot of buyers to explore other sources, and that’s how Chinese matcha entered the conversation again. It’s interesting how fast people started comparing the two. You hear questions like, “Does it taste the same?” or “Can Chinese matcha replace Japanese matcha during a global matcha shortage?” The answers still depend on what you value.

• Japanese matcha carries a familiar character people recognize quickly. The flavor leans smooth, the sweetness feels natural, and the bright green color tells you how carefully it was grown and shaded. Those traits come from shading methods that have been refined for generations. When farmers talk about quality, they often mention how tencha leaves respond to shade and careful handling. You can see why Japanese matcha became the gold standard.
• Chinese matcha, on the other hand, covers a wider range. Some producers offer strong, reliable batches that work well for culinary use. Others sell powders labeled as matcha even if they don’t follow the same shading or grinding practices. That’s why quality swings so much. You might get a great one today and a dull one next month. But because of the global matcha shortage, many cafés ended up relying on Chinese matcha to avoid pulling items off the menu. And since most drinks get mixed with milk or sweeteners, the difference isn’t sharp enough for customers to call out, making the swap an easy choice for now.

The comparison isn’t about one being “better” all the time. It’s more about purpose. If you want ceremonial flavor, Japanese matcha stands out. If you need something versatile and affordable while matcha supply chain issues continue, Chinese matcha becomes a practical choice. And in a year marked by matcha shortage 2025 headlines, practicality matters more than it used to.

With matcha running low worldwide, people grab whatever they see on the shelf. Hard to blame anyone who does this, though it comes with risks because this is when fake matcha concerns rise fast. A little awareness goes a long way, especially during a period of premium matcha scarcity where quality slips can be easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

Color, Aroma, Texture, and Taste Indicators

Color speaks first. Real high-quality matcha appears bright and lively, almost like young leaves catching sunlight. Anything leaning toward brown or olive usually hints at older tencha or poor storage. Aroma matters too.

Look for:

• Bright, vivid green color
• Fresh, clean grassy aroma
• Silky, fine texture
• Balanced flavor with gentle bitterness and natural sweetness

When you drink it, ask yourself, “Does this feel balanced?” Premium matcha carries a gentle bitterness followed by natural sweetness, not a harsh, flat aftertaste.

What “Ceremonial Grade” Really Means

Ceremonial grade should signal care—from leaf selection to the slow stone grinding. But in a global matcha shortage, the term gets stretched by some brands. Some companies rely on the term to raise prices even when the matcha lacks the traits it should have. When the scent or texture feels off, note it. The label alone isn’t enough to confirm quality, especially when demand runs high.

Matcha Certifications to Look For

Certifications help filter out powders pretending to be matcha. Labels tied to Japanese agricultural standards, organic farming, or verified regions give you clearer signals during the matcha shortage 2025.

Useful markers include:

• Japanese agricultural certifications (JAS, regional seals)
• Organic certifications from reputable bodies
• Clear origin labeling from known matcha regions
• Brands with strong reputations and consistent quality

They don’t cover everything, but they help you avoid mislabeled or imitation products. When you see matcha green tea supply shortage everywhere, it’s smart to lean on any reliable marker that confirms authenticity.

When the global matcha shortage tightens your options, it helps to know what else can fill the gap. Some people look for flavor, others just want something that feels familiar in a latte. And with matcha price increase trends still climbing, trying substitutes isn’t a bad idea.

Other Japanese Green Teas

Sencha, gyokuro, and hojicha offer good range if you enjoy Japanese profiles. Each one brings a different character, from sencha’s brightness to hojicha’s toasty edge. They work in lattes, iced teas, and simple hot brews. And since they aren’t tied to the same matcha shortage concerns hitting farms and processors, supply remains steadier. It’s a clean shift without losing Japanese tea altogether.

Chinese Green Tea Powder

Chinese green tea powder becomes a practical option when the shortage of matcha grows tighter. Cafés appreciate it because it blends smoothly and gives that familiar green drink look. The taste is different, yes, but workable, especially in mixed beverages. During the global matcha shortage, this is one of the easiest substitutes to source without stretching your budget too far.

Functional Latte Mixes

People lean on moringa, spirulina, maca, and similar adaptogen blends when matcha runs low. They add energy and color without much effort. The flavor isn’t matcha, but that’s part of their charm. They offer a steady alternative when premium matcha scarcity makes your usual drink hard to find or too expensive to maintain daily.

Under the surface of tight stocks and rising costs lies a complex situation that won’t reverse overnight.

Analysts say recovery needs at least one to two stable harvest seasons for farms to rebuild volume. The 2025 harvest showed lighter yields in regions like Uji and Kagoshima. Meanwhile, global demand isn’t letting up. Some reports expect the matcha market to keep climbing despite the strain.

Some industry forecasts point toward late 2026 or early 2027 as a possible moment when availability improves. That said, “improves” doesn’t mean “back to normal”. Importers expect a gradual return rather than an instant fix. In practice, this means occasional stock gaps, unpredictable lead times, and further matcha price increase trends.

If you run a café or source matcha globally, the smart move is to plan for volatility over the next 12–24 months. And for regular drinkers? Enjoy your cup now, but don’t expect your favorite brand to drop back to old prices or full stock lists soon.

Looking ahead, the matcha market analysis for the next few years paints a mixed picture. There’s room for growth, and you can feel it in the way demand keeps rising. But there’s also no escaping the reality that climate stress, limited regions, and the matcha production decline still shape the matcha supply forecast. You can expand fields, but weather patterns don’t always cooperate.

One shift seems clear: the market will become more spread out. Chinese matcha is gaining visibility, especially during the global matcha shortage, and matcha alternatives are showing up on more menus. It’s a natural response when one country carries most of the premium supply. Japanese producers, on their end, are leaning toward tighter quality control, sustainability work, and tech-driven growing methods to steady long-term output.

The shortage exposed weak spots in the Japanese green tea industry, from labor gaps to processing bottlenecks. But in a way, it also triggered changes that were overdue. If these adjustments continue—better farming tools, smarter shading techniques, improved logistics—the global matcha supply chain may come out stronger. Not instantly, but over time, with more resilience built into the system.

Is there really a matcha shortage in Japan?

Yes, the matcha shortage in Japan is happening, and growers have been open about it. Several regions saw lighter yields because the weather shifted at the wrong time and farms didn’t have enough workers to manage shading and harvest schedules. When those two collide, the output drops fast, and it affects the whole supply chain.

Why is Japanese matcha hard to find right now?

There are a few reasons layered together. Harvest volumes dipped, demand kept rising, and storage capacity in key regions stayed tight. Add matcha import delays on top of all that, and shipments arrive slower than usual. By the time orders clear customs or transit hubs, much of the stock is already claimed by cafés, roasters, or long-term buyers.

Is Chinese matcha better than Japanese matcha?

They play different roles. For ceremonial-style drinks, people still lean toward Japanese matcha because of its smooth profile. Chinese matcha appears often in baked goods and blended drinks because it’s more accessible and stays affordable during the global matcha shortage. Japanese matcha is popular for a reason, but Chinese matcha can also be very versatile. Each type fits different needs depending on the recipe.