China’s Seafood Imports from Japan Drops to 41% Due to Fukushima Waste Water Release

Total Ban on Seafood Imports Due to Fukushima Contaminated Water Release Starting in September

In the previous year, China witnessed a significant decline in its imports of Japanese seafood.

As reported by Japan’s Jiji Press on the 18th, data from China’s Customs General Administration, released in their monthly trade statistics report on the same day, revealed that China’s imports of Japanese seafood in 2023 experienced a sharp drop of 40.9% compared to the previous year, amounting to a total of $299.49 million.

This decline was primarily attributed to the Chinese government’s response to releasing contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, effectively leading to restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood.

In opposition to Japan’s decision to release contaminated water, the Chinese government began imposing stricter regulations on seafood imports in July of the previous year. The subsequent month, they implemented a complete ban, exerting significant pressure on Japan. Consequently, imports of Japanese seafood to China have nearly dwindled to ‘zero’ since September of the previous year, as reported by Jiji Press.

Japan has consistently demanded a reversal of this decision, contending that it lacks a scientific basis. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an urgent appeal to remove restrictions on Japanese seafood imports during the China-Japan summit held in November of the previous year. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping characterized the issue as related to nuclear-contaminated water’ and emphasized the necessity for appropriate handling. Both sides are planning to conduct expert consultations regarding releasing contaminated water into the sea later this year.