China Lifts Ban on Japanese Seafood Imports

China has officially lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports, ending a near year-long restriction imposed in August 2023 following Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

The decision, announced by Chinese customs authorities on Sunday, comes after international and domestic monitoring confirmed the safety of the discharge.

Independent sampling by Chinese experts and long-term data collection revealed no abnormal radiation levels, clearing the path for the resumption of trade.

This policy shift signals a strategic move by Beijing to stabilize ties with Tokyo amid escalating trade tensions with the United States.

However, China will maintain pre-existing import restrictions on food products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima and Tokyo, originally introduced after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

The reinstatement of seafood imports will be conditional. Japanese seafood-processing and preservation facilities must be registered with Chinese authorities, and products will undergo rigorous radiation inspections before shipment.

Procedures to restart seafood trade began in May, but actual shipments are expected to resume in the coming months as both sides complete the necessary regulatory steps.

The breakthrough follows a bilateral agreement last year, in which both governments committed to a gradual reopening of seafood trade, contingent on third-party monitoring of the Fukushima water release under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In line with this, China conducted marine sample testing near the discharge site, reinforcing scientific confidence in the safety of Japan’s ocean release.