China Removes Japanese Seafood Exporters from Official Database Amid Fukushima Water Release Controversy; Reasons Remain Unclear

By Fukutaro Yamashita / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:39 JST, May 18, 2024

BEIJING — Chinese customs authorities have removed the registration of Japanese seafood exporters’ processing facilities from their official database, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. While facility registration is required to export Japanese seafood products to China, as of Friday, searches on the database no longer show any Japanese exporters’ facilities.

According to a seafood exporter in Kyushu who had previously registered, there has been no communication from the Chinese side, and it remains unclear whether the registration has been revoked or temporarily suspended.

In August last year, the Chinese government completely halted imports of Japanese seafood products as a countermeasure against the release of treated water from Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Therefore, the removal of the registration will unlikely have a significant impact on the current situation.

A Japanese government official said: “This could be a move associated with the suspension of imports of Japanese seafood products. There has been no explanation from the Chinese side, and their intentions are unclear.” The government intends to carefully assess China’s motives behind this action.