Japanese seafood exporters outside of these restricted areas can now resume shipments to China. To do so, they must complete new registration procedures and provide certification verifying both the product’s origin and its radiation safety.
The ban, which went into effect in August 2023, was a direct response to Japan’s decision to begin releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. The plant, which experienced a triple meltdown in 2011, was facing a critical shortage of storage space for the accumulating contaminated water.
Despite the discharged water being filtered and diluted to remove most radioactive substances, and a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirming the project met global safety standards, China rejected these findings.
Beijing’s comprehensive ban significantly impacted Japan’s fishing industry, as China was previously its largest seafood export market. Following discussions between officials from both countries in September of last year, China agreed to ease the restrictions. The specifics of the necessary procedures were then ironed out in May. The 10 prefectures from which imports remain prohibited are Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo, and Chiba.
