Asia-Pacific

Taiwan Set to End Ban on Japanese Food Imports; All Imports of Japanese Food Products into Taiwan to be Approved Conditionally

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito, foreground, eats a kaiseki multi-course meal prepared with food from Fukushima Prefecture in Fukushima in February.

By Masatsugu Sonoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

1:00 JST, July 26, 2024

TAIPEI — Taiwan authorities announced Tuesday plans to completely abolish import restrictions on Japanese food products.

Restrictions were placed on Japanese food products in 2011 as a result of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. While import restrictions have since eased, they still apply to some food products from Fukushima and four other prefectures.

Decisions will be finalized after evaluating public response to the change over the next 60 days.

If the restrictions are lifted, all imports of Japanese food products into Taiwan will be approved conditionally.

Taiwan currently bans mushrooms, wild game and koshiabura mountain vegetable from Fukushima, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma and Chiba prefectures. Since 2022, Taiwan has allowed imports of other food products.