China partially resumes Japanese seafood imports

RTHK

11 hours ago

China partially resumes Japanese seafood imports
The mainland resumes seafood imports from most Japanese prefectures. File photo: AFP
The mainland will resume imports of qualified aquatic products from some Japanese regions starting on Sunday, the customs department announced.
"Based on the prerequisites that continuous long-term international monitoring of Japan's Fukushima treated nuclear wastewater discharge and independent sampling inspections by Chinese authorities show no abnormalities, as well as the Japanese government's commitment to ensuring the quality and safety of aquatic products exported to China, the Chinese government has decided to conditionally resume imports of aquatic products (including edible aquatic animals) from certain regions of Japan," the department said in a notice.
It said imports will continue to be banned from the prefectures of Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo, and Chiba.
The move ends an almost two-year ban on such products, introduced after Japan began releasing treated wastewater from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in 2023.
Authorities said imports will have to come with an official sanitary certificate from the Japanese government, a certificate of compliance for radioactive substance testing and a certificate of origin.
The department pledged "strict supervision" of Japanese aquatic imports.
"Should any products fail to comply with relevant Chinese laws, regulations, and food safety standards, or if Japanese authorities fail to effectively fulfil their official supervisory responsibilities, control measures will be promptly enforced," it said.