China has lifted its nearly two-year ban on seafood imports from Japan, a significant development following the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The customs agency announced the ban's removal on Sunday, allowing imports to resume from most of Japan.
The prohibition, imposed in August 2023, dealt a considerable blow to Japan's fisheries industry. China was the largest overseas market for Japanese seafood, accounting for more than one-fifth of its exports.
The measure was enacted in response to Japan's decision to release slightly radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Water must still be continuously pumped in to cool the radioactive fuel, leading to an ever-growing complex of storage tanks on the property.
After years of debate, the utility gained government permission to gradually discharge this water into the sea, following treatment to remove most radioactive elements.
Japanese officials said the wastewater would be safer than international standards and have a negligible environmental impact. They added data from the IAEA monitoring are publicly available.
China disagreed and imposed a ban, saying the discharge would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities on its east coast.
The ban will remain in place for seafood from 10 of Japan's 47 prefectures, including Fukushima and nearby ones.
Japanese seafood exporters will have to reapply for registration in China and all imports will have to include a health certificate, a certificate of compliance for radioactive substance testing and a certificate of origin, the Chinese customs agency said.
In May, Japan announced plans to use slightly radioactive soil, stored near the nuclear plant, for flower beds outside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office.
The move is intended to demonstrate the safety of reusing soil that was removed from Fukushima prefecture during decontamination efforts. Officials say that some of the soil has now reached levels deemed safe for reuse.
The government aims to reassure the public by using the soil at Mr Ishiba's office in Tokyo, with plans to extend its use to flower beds and other purposes within government agency grounds.
