Japan’s overall food exports broke a value record in 2024, even as the country grapples with China’s ban on seafood imports from the country.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) indicate the country’s exports of agriculture, forestry, and fishery products increased by 3.7 percent to JPY 1.507 trillion (USD 10 billion, EUR 9.6 billion) in 2024, up from JPY 1.454 trillion (USD 9.7 billion, EUR 9.2 billion) in 2023. According to the MAFF, that makes it the first year ever that Japan’s food exports exceeded JPY 1.5 trillion 9USD EUR).
However, that boost in exports came entirely from products other than seafood. Overall fisheries product exports were worth JPY 360.9 billion (USD 2.4 billion, EUR 2.3 billion), a drop of 7.5 percent from the JPY 390 billion (USD 2.6 billion, EUR 2.4 billion) the country posted in the previous year. By comparison, agricultural products were worth JPY 981.8 billion (USD 6.5 billion, EUR 6.2 billion) in 2024, up 8.4 percent from the previous year.
The main reason for the drop was a huge decrease in exports of seafood to China, which continues to maintain a ban on all Japanese seafood. China first imposed a total ban on all seafood imports from Japan in August 2023 after Japan discharged treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean. That water release was itself preceded by a lengthy fight over whether it should take place, and China had already promised to ramp up its restrictions on Japanese seafood before the water was released.
Hong Kong, another major trading partner for Japanese seafood, also announced import restrictions on seafood products after the water release, which according to the MAFF had an additional impact on exports.
The results of the bans on Japanese seafood show in export statistics. Exports of agriculture, fishery, and food products to China dropped by JPY 68.9 billion (USD 460 million, EUR 439 million), or by just over 29 percent, in 2024 compared to the prior year. Exports to Hong Kong also dropped, albeit more slightly, to JPY 221 billion (USD 1.47 billion, EUR 1.41 billion) – a drop of JPY 15.5 billion (USD 103 million, EUR 98 million), or 6.6 percent.
Prepared scallops were one of the items hit the hardest by the ban, per MAFF statistics. Export value dropped JPY 3.3 billion (USD 22 million, EUR 21 million), or 16 percent, in 2024, which the ministry attributed largely to the Chinese and Hong Kong ban.
Japanese scallop producers quickly pivoted to supplying more product to the U.S. in early 2024, capitalizing on the U.S. domestic fishery having a lower quota than it had in years past. Some Japanese companies also launched new joint ventures in North America specializing in processing and exporting scallops from Hokkaido to expand exports to the region.
Japanese companies also shifted scallop processing away from China to other countries, with companies telling SeafoodSource during the 2024 Seafood Expo Global there were still challenges in finding processors with enough experience to do the job at high enough standards.
While prepared scallop exports dropped overall, those efforts to market scallops outside of China paid off as overall scallop exports – including fresh, refrigerated, and frozen scallops – increased to JPY 69.5 billion (USD 464 million, EUR 443 million), a 0.9 percent uptick in sales.
While prepared scallops were hit hard by the ban, the hardest hit seafood item by a wide margin was sea cucumber, according to MAFF statistics. Exports of the product dropped by JPY 6.4 billion (USD 42 million, EUR 40 million), or 38 percent in 2024, entirely due to China’s restrictions. That makes it the single biggest value loser across every Japanese agriculture, forestry, and fishery product.
MAFF Deputy Director of Export Policy Planning Kazuyoshi Nakasugi told Reuters the growing popularity of Japanese food in a number of export markets helped drive the overall exports up in spite of China’s ban. He said the government has been promoting export destinations outside China for Japanese seafood, and increased sales in the U.S., Taiwan, and Vietnam helped offset the massive loss of the Chinese market.
"We will continue to encourage China to resume seafood imports as soon as possible while supporting efforts to expand sales channels for Japanese food products worldwide," Nakasugi said
China recently agreed to end its ban on Japanese seafood imports, but did not set an exact timeline of when that would occur. Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reached an agreement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November 2023, which resulted in China reviewing its ban. Then on September 2024 China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mao Ning said the countries had reached an agreement on water discharges that could lead to lifting import restrictions.
Regardless of whether or not China lifts its ban, Japan has continued to promote its seafood products in the U.S. and other markets. The Japan Food Products Overseas Promotion Center recently launched a new campaign to promote the nation’s seafood in the U.S., which has rapidly become one of the country’s largest export markets.
In 2024, the U.S. became the top destination for Japan’s agriculture, forestry, and fishery products, reaching JPY 242.9 billion (USD 1.6 billion, EUR 1.5 billion) in value.
