Japanese Scallops to be Processed in Bangladesh; Hyogo Pref. Firm Seeking Export Routes to Replace China

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:24 JST, August 26, 2024

Japan Delica Co., an importer and processor of seafood, will launch a new business in October for processing Japanese scallops in Bangladesh and selling them in Europe, the United States and other countries. The move comes amid China’s ban on imports of Japanese marine products.

Japan Delica, located in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, is a subsidiary of Japan Food Service Co. in the same city, and is looking to develop new export routes due to China’s ban, put in place over the release of treated water from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.

This is the first time for a company to try export Japanese scallops including from Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture to Bangladesh and process them locally.

Japan Delica has been operating a crab processing plant in Bangladesh since 2018 and has acquired a new seafood processing plant in Cox’s Bazar, in the country’s southeast. The plant will begin operations in October with 500 employees.

The company aims to achieve annual sales of ¥8 billion in three years. Up to 1,000 tons of scallops will be shelled per month, and about 200 tons of scallop meat will be exported to Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

Scallops had been mostly exported to China still in their shells and were shucked and consumed locally, or were exported to the U.S.

The government is supporting the establishment of new processing plants for Japanese scallops in Vietnam and Mexico to diversify export destinations and replace China.