China's import ban forcing Japanese scallop exporters to find alternative processing solutions

Published Apr 23, 2024

Tridge summary

Japan's scallop exporters, especially those from Hokkaido, are facing challenges due to China's ban on Japanese seafood imports, imposed in August 2023 following the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima plant. This ban has significantly reduced orders, with Hokkaido scallop producers experiencing a notable decline. As a result, Japanese exporters are shifting their focus to Southeast Asia, with Tsujino & Co. and Yokorei Co. beginning to process scallops in Vietnam. They anticipate the ban to last at least three years, given China's past behavior with product bans, and express concerns over potential future conflicts with the U.S. that could further affect export duties.

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

Original content

Scallop exporters in Japan are continuing to grapple with China’s total ban on imports of Japanese seafood, with some pivoting to Southeast Asia as a new destination for raw products. China’s complete ban on Japanese seafood went into effect in August 2023 and was made in response to the release of contaminated cooling water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station by the plant’s operator: Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO). That ban has had a heavy impact on a number of Japanese seafood exporters, with Hokkaido scallop producers in particular seeing customers pull back on orders. At Seafood Expo Global – running from 23 to 25 April in Barcelona, Spain – Japanese scallop exporters told SeafoodSource that the ban is continuing to make life difficult. Tsujino & Co. Manager Hiroki Komiyama said his company traditionally exported 90 percent of its frozen whole-shell scallops to China, mainly for the purpose of reprocessing for export to other markets. With the ban, ...

Source: Seafoodsource