"Both Countries Agree on Procedures to Resume Imports at Beijing Meeting"
"Several Technical Exchanges Held Between the Two Countries This Year"
The governments of China and Japan have agreed on technical procedures to resume imports of Japanese seafood, which had been suspended following the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.
On May 30, Japanese media outlets including Kyodo News reported that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan and Chinese customs authorities held a meeting in Beijing on May 28 and reached an agreement on the procedures for resuming imports.
As a result, the Chinese side is expected to soon begin the facility registration process required for Japanese companies to export and import seafood. However, the registration process alone is expected to take several months. Kyodo News noted that it remains uncertain when the actual resumption of imports will take place.
On the same day, the General Administration of Customs of China posted on social media that "on May 28, China responded to Japan's request and held a new technical exchange in Beijing regarding the safety of Japanese seafood, achieving substantial progress," and added, "Since the beginning of this year, the two countries have held several technical exchanges."
Previously, in September of last year, the two countries reached a consensus that China would participate in additional international monitoring. They also agreed that, if it was confirmed through this process that Japanese seafood met safety standards, imports would be gradually resumed.
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