Japan's agricultural, fisheries and forestry product exports rose 2.9 percent in 2023 to a record 1.45 trillion yen ($9.9 billion), with increased shipment to the United States and Hong Kong making up for a decline in sales to mainland China, government data shows.
The leader of the junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition visits China to urge Beijing to lift its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed over the ocean release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
China has halted imports of Nishikigoi, ornamental carp, from Japan, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship say, in what could be a part of Beijing's pressure against Japan over the release of treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
China imported virtually no seafood from Japan last month, according to official data, as Beijing continues a total ban on marine products from its neighbor in response to the discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The value of Japan's seafood exports to China fell 23.2 percent in July from a year earlier to 7.7 billion yen ($52 million), partly due to the neighboring country's blanket radiation testing on such products that started that month, government data shows..