Japanese Beef Export to China Resumes

China notified Japan that it had completed its internal procedures to activate an agreement on quarantine into force signed by both governments in 2019. The agreement is the precondition of resuming import of Japanese beef, which had been blocked since 2001. Receiving pressure from the United States through tariff policy, China is estimated that it strategically approaches Japan as a major trade partner. 

China halted import of Japanese beef in 2001 when a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was found in Japan. As Japan has been urging China to resume import of Japanese beef, both governments reached an agreement on cooperation in animal health and quarantine in 2019, which would enhance cooperation in transboundary animal epizootic disease control. The agreement took effect in China on July 11th, 2025, and both governments will start consultations toward early resumption of Japanese beef imports.

 

In the meeting between Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Iwaya, and Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, at Kuala Lumpur on July 10th, both ministers exchanged their views on the early entry into force of the agreement. Chinese Vice Premier, He Lifeng, had a meeting on July 11th with Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party, Hiroshi Moriyama, taking opportunity of visiting Osaka-Kansai Expo. He explained Moriyama about internal procedure of activating the agreement. Moriyama announced that Japan made a progress for resumption of exporting Japanese beef to China.

 

“The Parties shall improve mechanisms for cooperation in transboundary animal disease control to protect their countries against transboundary spread of epizootic diseases,” says Article 2 of the agreement. Both governments are expected to start discussion on when and how the export of Japanese beef to China will be resumed. It is still possible that the export will not be resumed as China does not agree on the details of the beef trade.

 

For Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the activation of the quarantine agreement in China is a good news, while he is devoted in election campaign of the Upper House, which will be voted on July 20th. Resumption of beef export which has been stopped for 24 years may work as an achievement of the administration in diplomacy toward China. As the election campaign has been slowing down with persistent price inflation and criticisms on wrong management of political funds, the LDP obtained an issue to appeal to the voters.

 

Although U.S. Trump administration reduced tariff rate on China from 145 percent to 30 percent in May, China’s exports to the U.S. is significantly declining. China announced resumption of import of Japanese seafoods in June, which had been banned since August 2023 when Japan started discharge of processed water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. China removed buoys in Japan’s economic exclusive zone around Senkaku Islands in May.

 

Such measures can be recognized as a sign of China for improving bilateral relationship with Japan. However, it is unclear whether China maintains the friendly approach to Japan. Japan is still analyzing China’s true intention as military advance continues in East China Sea.

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