How to Import Shea Butter into Japan
Tariff line, regulator, documents, transit from Lagos and clearance for Japan — every fact sourced and dated.
Summary
- Customs authority
- Japan Customs applies the Japan tariff. Shea butter is declared under heading 1515.90; the importer confirms the 9-digit statistical line on Japan Customs / webTARIFF. Entries are lodged in NACCS.
- Cosmetics authority
- The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) administers the PMD Act for cosmetics. Ordinary cosmetics do not need marketing approval but must meet the Standards for Cosmetics. A Japan-based Marketing Authorisation Holder holds the cosmetics manufacturing-and-marketing licence.
- Food authority
- Food-use shea butter needs an import notification under the Food Sanitation Act, filed with the MHLW quarantine station at the port of arrival (FAINS / NACCS) before Japan Customs releases the goods.
- National tariff line
- Japan tariff heading 1515.90
- Product notification
- Ordinary cosmetics are notified by sales name to the prefectural authority before manufacture or import. Quasi-drugs need a separate approval path. A bulk industrial drum that is not itself sold as a cosmetic is not that notification.
- Ports of discharge
- Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka
- Transit from Lagos
- 32–50 days
- Certification priority
- HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP, COSMOS
- Labelling language
- Labelling in Japanese
- Specific to Japan
- MHLW is the named Japan authority on this page.
- Specific to Japan (2)
- Lagos boxes for Japan are planned for Tokyo (JPTYO).
- Specific to Japan (3)
- Buyers in Japan also search the local name シアバター.
Nigerian shea butter for Japan
Japan does not grow shea as a commercial crop. Drums arriving at Tokyo are West African origin — a Japan formulator is buying an imported fat, not a domestic oilseed. MHLW and a Japanese Marketing Authorisation Holder sit on finished cosmetics; NACCS clears Tokyo, Yokohama or Osaka boxes. Buyers also search シアバター. EMI Agro works with 5,000+ women collectors in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi. Tokyo is the usual discharge.
Ask for a batch COA on a NIS 571:2013 basis: free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture, colour and melting point. Reject lots that smell sharply rancid or pour like liquid oil at room temperature. MHLW filings sit with the Japan importer — they do not replace a COA.
Trial lots start at 5 tonnes; standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Send the request even if you need less — EMI Agro reviews every Japan enquiry against current production of 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Lead time is Ibadan production plus ocean time to Tokyo. Quotes are EXW, FOB or CIF; each term prices different services beyond the butter.
Two questions. We show the grade, the documents that usually apply and the next step — we do not invent a price.
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Step 1 — Classify & tariff
Shea butter is classified under HS heading 1515.90 worldwide; Japan extends it to the national line below.
Tariff classification for shea butter in Japan (sources and dates in References) Item Value Source HS heading 1515.90 — global Harmonized System National tariff line Japan tariff heading 1515.90 — other fixed vegetable fats and oils. Statistical lines under that heading split other vegetable fats by acid value (exceeding 0.6 versus not more than 0.6). Confirm the 9-digit line on Japan Customs / webTARIFF for the entry date. customs.go.jp Duty and tax note WTO specific rates on 1515.90 other vegetable fats are charged in yen per kilogram and depend on the acid-value statistical line. customs.go.jp Preference scheme and proof of origin Japan consumption tax is extra. Nigeria is not treated here as an EPA partner. Confirm the line and any GSP preference on the tariff for the entry date. This is not a shea-only surcharge. customs.go.jp WTO specific rates on 1515.90 other vegetable fats are charged in yen per kilogram and depend on the acid-value statistical line. Japan consumption tax is extra. Nigeria is not treated here as an EPA partner. Confirm the line and any GSP preference on the tariff for the entry date. This is not a shea-only surcharge.
Why the first six digits are the same everywhere is explained in the exporting and importing shea butter guide.
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Step 2 — Regulatory registration
In Japan, cosmetic-grade shea butter falls under MHLW; food-grade under the food authority.
Finished cosmetics placed on the Japanese market follow the PMD Act and the Standards for Cosmetics. Bulk shea butter as a raw material is not itself a notified finished cosmetic; the Japanese Marketing Authorisation Holder files.
Ordinary cosmetics are notified by sales name to the prefectural authority before manufacture or import. Quasi-drugs need a separate approval path. A bulk industrial drum that is not itself sold as a cosmetic is not that notification.
Edible-fat entries follow the Food Sanitation Act. The Japanese importer lodges the quarantine-station notification; the Nigerian plant does not hold that file.
Finished cosmetics sold to Japanese consumers need Japanese-language particulars. Bulk drums follow the contract language. (locally シアバター)
Buyers in Japan most often ask for HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP and COSMOS; status is on our certifications page. See HACCP, ISO 22716 / GMP, COSMOS and our certifications page.
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Step 3 — Required documents
The documents below are those MHLW lists for a shea butter consignment; EMI Agro issues the ones marked as ours.
Documents for importing shea butter into Japan (sources and dates in References) Document Issued by When Commercial invoice EMI Agro At booking Packing list EMI Agro At stuffing Bill of lading Carrier On vessel departure Certificate of Analysis (per batch) EMI Agro With shipping documents Certificate of origin Nigerian agency Before shipment Form NXP Nigerian agency Before shipment NACCS import declaration Buyer / importer Before release to home consumption Food Sanitation Act import notification (food use) Buyer / importer Before customs release Nigerian export-side documents are explained in how to import shea butter from Nigeria; the COA format is on the certificate of analysis page.
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Step 4 — Shipping & Incoterms
EMI Agro loads at Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos) for Japan discharge at the ports below.
Typical sea transit from Lagos to Japan (port-to-port days; confirm on the booking) Port UN/LOCODE Transit (days) Schedules read on Tokyo JPTYO 32–50 September 2026 Yokohama JPYOK 32–50 September 2026 Osaka JPOSA 32–50 September 2026 - EXW: buyer arranges collection, freight and insurance from the factory.
- FOB: EMI Agro delivers on board at the named Lagos port; buyer arranges ocean freight.
- CIF: EMI Agro arranges freight and insurance to the named discharge port.
Container configuration is calculated separately — use the shea export container calculator and the container notes on the export overview.
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Step 5 — Customs clearance & inspection
Clearance in Japan is handled through MHLW.
Boxes discharge at Tokyo (JPTYO), Yokohama (JPYOK) or Osaka (JPOSA). The importer or broker lodges the NACCS entry; food-use lots also need the MHLW quarantine notification at that port.
Working with EMI Agro
- MOQ
- Standard orders start at 20 tonnes. Trial lots start at 5 tonnes. Smaller volumes can still be requested — we review every enquiry against current production.
- Lead time
- Lead time is Ibadan production time plus ocean time to the named port. EMI Agro produces 40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter and can schedule rolling shipments. Exact weeks depend on the quantity on the purchase order.
- Incoterms
- EXW, FOB, CIF
- Samples
- Trial lots start at 5 tonnes of the named grade. Send the request even if you need less — we review whether we can supply.
- Load ports
- Apapa (Lagos) and Tin Can Island (Lagos)
For Japan buyers our supplier page covers MOQ, price basis, packaging and lead time in detail. Shea butter supplier in Japan.
For commodity background see the complete guide to shea butter.
Related pages
How to import shea butter into South Korea
How to import shea butter into the United States
How to import shea butter into the European Union
How to import shea butter from Nigeria
Nigerian export-side procedure before the container sails.
Shea export container calculator
How many drums fit a container.
Exporting shea butter from Nigeria
HS heading, load ports and the country-guide hub.
Certificate of Analysis
How a batch COA is reported.
Frequently asked questions
References & standards
- customs.go.jp (accessed 13 September 2026)
- pmda.go.jp (accessed 13 September 2026)
- mhlw.go.jp (accessed 13 September 2026)
- naccs.jp (accessed 13 September 2026)
- maersk.com (accessed 13 September 2026)
Last reviewed September 2026 by EMI Agro Industries QC team.
Manufacturer-direct from Ibadan, Nigeria
Get an export quote for Japan
Tell us grade, volume and your port of discharge in Japan; we reply with pricing, the document set and a current COA.
You have just read How to Import Shea Butter into Japan. The next step is a real lot from the factory that produces it — EMI Agro, with factory-direct pricing and a batch Certificate of Analysis.
Trusted manufacturer
EMI Agro Industries Limited (RC 9364495) presses the butter in Ibadan — we are not a trading company.
Competitive factory-direct prices
Quoted EXW, FOB or CIF — the buyer chooses. You pay the factory, not a chain of middlemen.
Export-ready supply
We ship to European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Southeast Asia, China, India, Middle East, Latin America. Load ports: Apapa (Lagos) or Tin Can Island (Lagos).
Documented lots
40 tonnes per week of finished shea butter, a Certificate of Analysis on every batch, NAFDAC registered and SON approved.