Japanese Food Exports Hit New Record in 2024 Even with Chinese Seafood Ban

Japan’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs rose by 3.7% year on year to ¥1.51 trillion in 2024, setting a new record for the twelfth consecutive year. China’s blanket suspension of Japanese seafood imports from August 2023 in response to the release of treated water into the sea from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station led to a big drop in exports bound for Chinese ports. However, Japan managed to make up the shortfall with strong sales to the United States and elsewhere. Even as exports rise, though, it seems unlikely that the government will hit its 2025 target of ¥2 trillion.

Overall fishery exports dropped by 6.3% due to the restrictions on imports in China and Hong Kong. However, efforts to carve out new markets for scallops paid off, and it remained the top product as a 0.9% rise in sales brought the export value to ¥69.5 billion. It was followed by beef at ¥64.8 billion, while the growing popularity of Japanese-style curry in countries like the United States and South Korea, and continued interest in Japanese food from visitors to the country after returning home fostered a 16.9% increase for sauces and mixed seasonings. Similarly, green tea saw a rise of 24.6%.

By country and region, exports to the United States came top with ¥242.9 billion after a 17.8% increase. By contrast, exports to China slumped by 29.1% to ¥168.1 billion. The ¥6.1 billion export value for fishery products was less than a tenth of the total of ¥87.1 billion in 2022 before the seafood ban was introduced.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)