Japanese tomato product imports remain considerable

Published 2023년 3월 7일

Tridge summary

Japanese imports of tomato products have seen a surge, with the nation heavily reliant on imports to meet its consumption needs, despite having its own processing industry. In 2022, tomato paste imports remained stable, with a slight decrease compared to the previous three years, but there was a notable shift in suppliers, with a significant increase in purchases from Turkey, Australia, and Italy, and a decrease in Chinese products. Canned tomatoes imports doubled in 2022, predominantly from Italy, but Turkish imports saw a decrease. Sauce imports also increased in 2022, with a notable growth in Dutch, Thai, and Mexican products. Overall, Japan's expenditure on imported tomato products has been on the rise since 2016, reaching around USD 320 million in 2022.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

After a fairly sharp dip in the middle of the previous decade, particularly in the tomato paste category, Japanese imports of tomato products have started to rise again and are now at levels rarely reached before. Japan has its own processing industry, but such activities have declined sharply since the early 1990s. The national industry currently processes about 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of tomatoes per year, which is about 2 to 3% of the country's estimated annual consumption. Japan remains more than ever extremely dependent on imports to supply its national market. Image From January to December 2022, tomato paste imports (148,400 metric tonnes (mT), under codes 200290) stalled slightly (-1.8%) compared to the previous three years (2019-2021), but remained in line (+0.4%) with the quantities purchased during the three years (2017-2020) prior to the Covid health crisis. However, this stability in quantities masks a discreet refocusing of Japanese paste purchases on ...

Source: Tomatonews