China to resume seafood imports from Japan suspended after Fukushima wastewater discharge

Published on 30/05/2025 - 20:37 GMT+2

China will resume seafood imports from Japan that it banned successful 2023 complete worries astir nan discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from nan damaged Fukushima Daiichi atomic powerfulness works into nan sea, a Japanese curate has said.

Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the agreement was reached aft officials met successful Beijing and nan imports will resume erstwhile paperwork is complete.

China said talks this week made "substantial progress," but did not corroborate an statement pinch Japan connected nan rumor that has been a important governmental and negotiated constituent of tension.

"Seafood is an important export point for Japan and a resumption of its export to China is simply a awesome milestone," Koizumi said.

Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya besides welcomed nan move, saying: "It will beryllium a large first measurement that would thief Japan and China to tackle a number of remaining issues betwixt nan 2 countries."

But officials said China's prohibition connected workplace and fisheries products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, is still successful spot and that they will support pushing toward their lifting.

China's General Administration of Customs said successful a connection that nan 2 sides had held "a caller information of method exchanges connected nan information issues of Japanese aquatic products...and achieved important progress," but did not mention immoderate agreement.

Disagreement complete seafood imports

China blocked imports of Japanese seafood because it said nan merchandise of nan treated and diluted but still somewhat radioactive wastewater would endanger nan sportfishing manufacture and coastal communities successful eastbound China.

Japanese officials said the wastewater will beryllium safer than world standards and its biology effect will beryllium negligible.

They said nan wastewater must beryllium released to make room for nan atomic plant’s decommissioning and to forestall accidental leaks.

Tokyo and Beijing person held 3 rounds of talks since March connected nan rumor earlier reaching nan statement this week connected nan "technical requirements" basal for Japanese seafood exports to China to restart, Japan's Foreign Ministry said successful a statement.

It did not opportunity really agelong it whitethorn return earlier nan existent resumption.

Mainland China utilized to beryllium nan biggest overseas marketplace for Japanese seafood, accounting for much than one-fifth of its seafood exports, followed by Hong Kong.

The prohibition became a awesome rustle to nan fisheries industry, though nan effect connected wide waste and acquisition was constricted because seafood exports are a fraction of Japan’s full exports.

Japan’s authorities group up an emergency alleviation money for its exporters, particularly scallop growers, and sought replacement overseas markets.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates nan Fukushima Daiichi plant, has said it would compensate Japanese business owners appropriately for damages from export bans.

Nuclear meltdowns

The atomic powerfulness works suffered meltdowns successful 3 reactors aft being heavy damaged successful nan 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan.

Water utilized to cool nan reactor cores has been accumulating ever since and officials opportunity nan monolithic stockpile is hampering nan cleanup of nan site.

The wastewater was treated and heavy diluted pinch seawater to trim nan radioactivity arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable earlier Japan began releasing it into nan oversea successful August 2023.

People wrong and extracurricular Japan protested nan first wastewater merchandise and Japanese sportfishing groups said they feared it would further harm nan estimation of their seafood.

Groups in China and South Korea besides raised concerns.