Japan Restarts Seafood Exports to China After Two-Year Suspension — Hokkaido Scallops Sent

Japan resumes seafood shipments to China after two-year ban

Japan has restarted exports of seafood to China following a two-year suspension that began amid concerns over treated radioactive water releases from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Japanese government said.

Recent shipments: Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara described as a “positive development” the shipment of six tons of frozen scallops from Hokkaido that were sent to China on Wednesday. In a separate briefing, Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki said 1,323 pounds of salted sea cucumbers are scheduled to depart on Monday.

“Tokyo will press Beijing to lift import restrictions on fishery products from the remaining 10 prefectures and to resume imports of Japanese beef,” Kihara said, according to NHK.

China halted most imports of Japanese seafood in 2023 after Japan began discharging treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi site into the ocean. The long-standing Chinese ban on Japanese beef stems from a 2001 outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.

In June, Beijing announced it would permit shipments from 10 prefectures after long-term international seawater monitoring and independent Chinese sampling found “no abnormalities.” Under China’s rules, Japanese exporters must register facilities with Chinese authorities and provide certificates showing radioactivity inspections before shipping fishery products. So far, only three facilities have been approved to export; registrations for hundreds more remain pending, Kyodo News reported.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. More than 1.3 million metric tons of contaminated water — a mix of groundwater and cooling water — were stored on-site in over 1,000 tanks until a managed discharge began in late August 2023. That water was treated to remove most radioactive nuclides; tritium, a naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen that emits relatively weak beta radiation, remains and is diluted with seawater prior to release. The discharge program was reviewed and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated at a news briefing that if any risks are detected, “necessary import restriction measures will be taken immediately in accordance with the law.”

What to watch next

Tokyo is likely to continue diplomatic engagement with Beijing to expand permitted prefectures and to press for resumption of beef imports. Observers will also monitor how quickly additional Japanese facilities gain Chinese export approvals and whether further testing or temporary restrictions occur.