China will resume importing Japanese seafood after recent talks made “substantial progress,” according to Japanese officials. The decision follows an ongoing dispute over the discharge of slightly radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which had led China to block seafood imports due to health and safety concerns. Although an agreement has been reached for imports to resume once documentation is finalized, China has maintained its ban on farm and fishing products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima.
Japanese officials assert that the wastewater is treated to meet international safety standards, emphasizing the need for its release to manage the Fukushima site. The ban hit Japan’s seafood exports hard, as China was previously their largest market. The Japanese government has responded by supporting exporters affected by the ban, especially scallop producers. This situation stems from the 2011 Fukushima disaster, where the release of treated wastewater began in August 2023, despite protests from various stakeholders regarding safety and reputational concerns.
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