China Lifts Ban on Japanese Seafoods

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on May 30th that Japan and China agreed on lifting China’s ban on Japanese seafoods, which has been set since Japan started discharging “processed water” from crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in August 2023. Although China still blocks products from ten prefectures around Fukushima, Japanese government evaluate China’s decision as an important step to a normalization. 

Opposing Japan’s decision of the discharge, China accused Japan of its release of water once used for cooling broken nuclear reactors as “extremely selfish and irresponsible.” “The ocean is humanity’s common good, not Japan’s private sewer,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin. Reflecting frustration with Japan’s close stance to Joe Biden administration of the United States, China announced comprehensive ban on seafoods from all over Japan.

 

There are certain demands for Japanese seafoods in China. It has been the key for China to resume importing Japanese sea products in a face-saving way. In the leaders talk between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Xi Jinping at San Francisco in November 2023, they concurred on seeking a solution through dialogue. After China agreed on mitigating the comprehensive ban in September 2024, with a condition of China’s participation in international monitoring of the discharged water, both government officials continued consultation for details.

 

The government of Japan announced on May 30th that it reached an agreement on necessary conditions for resuming exports to China. China has been suffering from extremely high tariff on Chinese goods by U.S. President Donald Trump. China has been paving the way to lift the ban against Japan, including announcement of safety of Japan’s discharged water or removing buoyage set in economic exclusive zone of Japan.

 

It is still unclear exactly when the lift will be activated. For exporters to resume shipping to China, they need to be registered again as the official exporters to China. They will need certification that their facilities are radioactively safe to pass regulation of China. However, it will be a significant business chance for producers of sea products, including scallops or sea cucumbers in Hokkaido.

 

In the remarks of Chinese spokesperson to announce lifting the ban, the water discharged from Fukushima was describedas “nuclear-contaminated water.” China has not removed its skepticism on the water. Japanese government continues to provide with information about the water and seeks early lift on products from remaining ten prefectures, including Fukishima, Miyagi or Tokyo. It also hopes to terminate restriction against Japanese beef which China has not been importing since 2001 when bovine spongiform encephalopathy was found in Japan.

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