Japan is intensifying its efforts to expand seafood exports to new markets across Asia, the U.S., and Europe in response to the loss of its largest buyer, China, due to a year-long import ban. The ban was imposed by China, previously the top destination for Japanese seafood, citing concerns over radioactive contamination after Tokyo Electric Power began releasing treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in August 2023.
As a result, Japan’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports declined in the first half of 2024 for the first time since 2020, with a 43.8% drop in exports to China. Scallops were particularly affected, experiencing a 37% year-on-year decrease.
Norihiko Ishiguro, chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), acknowledged that while the volume of exports has not yet fully recovered from the loss of the Chinese market, there has been significant growth in alternative markets such as the U.S., Canada, Thailand, and Vietnam. He emphasized that JETRO is actively promoting the diversification of export destinations for products impacted by China’s ban by establishing new commercial channels in these regions.
“We’ve managed to redirect 20-30% of the scallop exports lost due to China’s import ban,” Ishiguro stated, ahead of the first anniversary of the Fukushima water release on August 24. He expressed optimism about the potential for rapid growth in Japanese seafood exports, believing that it won’t take long to compensate for the gap caused by China’s ban.
In 2022, Japan exported 87.1 billion yen ($592 million) worth of aquatic products to China, making it the largest market for Japanese exports. However, this figure dropped to 61 billion yen in 2023 and plummeted to just 3.5 billion yen in the first half of 2024.
To counter these losses, JETRO has received an additional 5 billion yen from the government to support 170 promotional events over the past year, showcasing scallops, yellowtail, and other seafood in over 70 cities worldwide, including Davos, Switzerland, and San Francisco. These efforts also include inviting international chefs, influencers, and buyers to visit Japan’s fish markets and fisheries. In Thailand, JETRO launched campaigns to promote Japanese seafood in various non-Japanese restaurants, including Thai, Italian, and Chinese establishments.
JETRO is also exploring new processing sites for scallops in Vietnam and Mexico to replace China’s role in the supply chain. Emerging markets like Eastern Europe and the Middle East are also seen as having significant growth potential, with Poland alone hosting 2,000 Japanese restaurants.
Ishiguro noted that the weak yen and a boom in Japanese tourism are additional factors contributing to the growth of seafood exports. He also emphasized that outside of China, there is no longer a reputational risk associated with Japanese seafood.
