China’s General Administration of Customs announced it is lifting a multi-year ban on all Japanese seafood, allowing imports from certain prefectures.
China implemented a complete ban on all Japanese seafood in August 2023 in response to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The controversial water release came after a multi-year fight over TEPCO’s plans, which came as nearby foreign countries like China and South Korea were gradually removing restrictions on Japanese seafood implemented in the wake of the nuclear disaster in March 2011.
According to a release from the General Administration of Customs, China is planning to allow imports of aquatic products sourced from all but 10 prefectures: Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo, and Chiba. The administration also reiterated that all imports will comply with relevant regulations, and aquatic companies that suspended imports must reapply for registration in China and can only carry out trade with the country following registration.
Japan Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi welcomed the news and called it a “major turning point for Japan” in a press conference shortly after the announcement.
The move follows up on ...
