Japan’s imports of fish and fish preparations in August 2020 totaled 141,418 metric tons (MT), down 8.6 percent from the same month in 2019, according to Japan Customs.
The import value was JPY 102.7 billion (USD 975 million, EUR 838 million) for a decline of 15.8 percent, the Ministry of Finance press release, published 29 September, noted. This is not as sharp a decline as was seen in July, when the quantity and value fell by 13.3 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively, from July of 2019.
Fish and fish preparation imports from the United States were off by 13.9 percent by weight and 11.3 percent by value. From the E.U., they were off 20.6 percent by weight and 10.5 percent by value. As for Asia, the quantity and value declined 8 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively. Imports from China, meanwhile, were down by only 4.4 percent by volume and 6.8 percent by value, indicating a recovery there. But the ASEAN trading bloc was a different story – the volume there was off by 19.1 percent and 17.1 by value.
Japan’s seafood exports fell off a cliff in the month of May, reflecting the suspension of international flights, and corresponding with a drastic drop in all Japanese exports. However, June and July exports of fish and fish preparations are running above the figures for last year in value terms. The main export markets in August were China, the U.S., the E.U., Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Germany, Singapore, and Malaysia.
On 10 September, Tokyo lowered its coronavirus alert status and loosened voluntary measures restricting eating out. Requests for bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. were ended. Tokyo will also now be included in the national government’s “Go To Travel” travel campaign and “Go To Eat” dining promotion. Under these programs, the national government subsidizes travel and meals out to support the hard-hit hospitality industry. As Tokyo still had many cases of the virus, it had been excluded from the programs.
The new Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, who worked part-time at the Tsukiji Fish Market as a college student, has said that he wants to balance controlling COVID-19 with maintaining the economy.
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