Japan looks to boost seafood exports to new markets after Chinese ban, trade body says

Yuka Obayashi - Reuters - 20/08
Japan is ramping up promotional efforts to boost seafood exports to more destinations in Asia, the U.S., and Europe as it seeks to fill a sales gap left by a year-long Chinese import ban, the head of the Japan External Trade Organization said.
  • Japan External Trade Organization
    Follow
  • Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc
    Follow
TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan is ramping up promotional efforts to boost seafood exports to more destinations in Asia, the U.S., and Europe as it seeks to fill a sales gap left by a year-long Chinese import ban, the head of the Japan External Trade Organization said.
China, previously the biggest market for Japanese seafood exports, banned purchases of Japanese-origin seafood citing risk of radioactive contamination after Tokyo Electric Power (9501.T), opens new tab started releasing treated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last August.
Japan's exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in the first half of 2024 fell for the first time since 2020 as exports to China plunged 43.8%. Scallops were the hardest-hit, dropping 37% year-on-year.
"We haven't yet fully compensated for the loss from China in volume, but exports to the U.S., Canada, Thailand and Vietnam are increasing, significantly boosting momentum in alternative markets," said Norihiko Ishiguro, the chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization, or JETRO.
The government-backed trade body is promoting the diversification of export destinations for scal...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]