By Isha - Jun 30, 2025
China partially lifts its two-year ban on Japanese seafood imports, excluding ten prefectures including Fukushima, Tokyo, and Chiba, due to safety concerns from the Fukushima nuclear plant incident. Despite the restrictions, most regions can resume exports starting June 29, 2025, with stringent documentation requirements. Japan anticipates a gradual recovery in seafood sales, particularly for products like sea cucumbers, as part of broader diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between the two nations.
SIGMA DP1 Merrill via Pxhere
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China has announced the partial lifting of its nearly two-year ban on Japanese seafood imports, marking a significant shift in trade and diplomatic relations. The move allows imports from most Japanese prefectures while maintaining restrictions on products from ten regions, including Fukushima, Tokyo, and Chiba. The original ban, imposed in August 2023, followed Japan’s release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
That action prompted safety concerns within China, which halted incoming seafood due to fears over contamination. Following extensive bilateral talks and rigorous testing, including international and Chinese regime-led inspections of Japan's discharged water, Beijing confirmed no abnormalities in safety levels. As a result, customs authorities authorized the resumption of imports from most regions, effective June 29, 2025.
However, the ban remains in place for ten prefectures deemed higher risk by China. These include Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo, and Chiba. Even seafood from permitted regions must now be accompanied by comprehensive documentation: health certificates, radioactive substance test results, and production-area verification issued by Japanese authorities. For Japan's seafood industry, China was historically its largest export market, accounting for over 20% of its overseas sales.
The ban hit scallop and sea cucumber exporters particularly hard. With this partial resumption, Japanese officials hope for a gradual recovery in sales, especially for products like sea cucumbers, which are highly valued in China. This development coincides with broader efforts to defuse bilateral tensions. China’s decision follows commitments from Japan to reinforce monitoring, certification, and facility registration procedures to meet Chinese regulatory requirements.
Though this shift is a diplomatic step forward, Japan continues to advocate for a full lifting of restrictions on the remaining prefectures. Beijing has affirmed its ongoing scientific approach, pledging strict supervision and enforcement of safety standards. Still, the retained ban on products from ten prefectures and the stringent import conditions underline China's cautious stance amid lingering safety concerns.
