China Partially Lifts Ban on Japanese Seafood Imports

China has lifted a ban on seafood imports from most regions of Japan, which was imposed two years ago due to concerns over the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. 

Beijing said it will "conditionally resume" the imports from Japan with the exception of 10 of the country's 47 prefectures, including Tokyo and Fukushima. Samples collected over long-term monitoring of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima had "not shown abnormalities", China's General Administration of Customs wrote on June 29. 

[Refer to my earlier post "China, Japan Reach Deal to Restart Seafood Trade" published May 31, 2025]. 

FYI, a tsunami in 2011 flooded three reactors of the Fukushima plant in north-east Japan in what is regarded as the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Three of six nuclear reactors at the plant suffered a meltdown during the tsunami, leaving the facility severely damaged. Over the years more than a million tonnes of treated waste water accumulated there. 

In 2023, Japan began discharging the treated waste water into the ocean – the process is expected to take up to 30 years. Although some experts agree that the release is safe, some scientists say there isn't enough research yet on the potential impact on the ocean. 

Thereafter, Japan's decision was severely criticized by China and almost immediately, the latter banned seafood from the country, citing environmental concerns and safety fears.