Japanese Agriculture Minister Suzuki Kenji stated at a press conference following a cabinet meeting on the 7th that approximately 6 tons of frozen scallops were shipped to China on the 5th. He also mentioned that they plan to send sea cucumbers on the 10th.
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the northeastern sea area of Japan, triggering a massive tsunami. Due to the combined impact of the earthquake and tsunami, a large amount of radioactive substances leaked from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. On April 13, 2021, the Japanese government officially decided to release the filtered and diluted Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the sea. According to the Tokyo Electric Power Company's plan, the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge will officially commence in the summer of 2023 and is expected to last for 30 years. This decision has been widely questioned and opposed by the international community and has also caused strong concerns within Japan.
On August 24, 2023, Japan initiated the first discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. On the same day, the General Administration of Customs of China issued a notice, deciding to take emergency measures on aquatic products originating from Japan, and fully suspended the import of Japanese aquatic products starting from August 24 (inclusive).
On September 20, 2024, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that China and Japan had reached a consensus on the issue of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. China stated that, in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations and WTO regulations, China had taken emergency preventive temporary measures on aquatic products originating from Japan. China will adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence after effectively participating in long-term international monitoring and independent sampling activities under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and gradually resume the import of Japanese aquatic products that meet the standards.
China used to be the largest export destination for Japanese aquatic products. According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the export value of aquatic products to China, including ornamental products, was approximately 87.1 billion yen (about 4.3 billion yuan) in 2022 before the suspension, accounting for about 22% of the global total, but in 2024 it was only about 6.1 billion yen, falling to about 2%.