China Suspended All Imports of Japanese Seafood from Aug 24

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China Suspended All Imports of Japanese Seafood from Aug 24

China Suspended All Imports of Japanese Seafood from Aug 24.

China’s General Administration of Customs: Comprehensive Suspension of Japanese Seafood Imports.

On August 24th, China’s General Administration of Customs issued a notice to comprehensively prevent the radiation contamination risks to food safety posed by Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

This action is aimed at protecting the health of Chinese consumers and ensuring the safety of imported food.

It is based on the relevant provisions of the “Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China” and its implementing regulations, the “Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Food Safety of the People’s Republic of China,” as well as the provisions of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

The General Administration of Customs has decided to fully suspend imports of water products (including edible aquatic animals) originating from Japan, effective from August 24, 2023.

China Suspended All Imports of Japanese Seafood from Aug 24

The head of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the General Administration of Customs answered questions from reporters regarding Japan’s Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge:

On August 24th, the head of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of China’s General Administration of Customs responded to questions from reporters regarding Japan’s Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge.

The official stated that the Japanese government has disregarded strong international doubts and opposition and unilaterally initiated the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water on August 24th. China’s customs authorities are deeply concerned about the radiation contamination risks this action poses to food and agricultural products exported to China from Japan.

To prevent the entry of Japanese food products potentially affected by radiation contamination and protect the health of the Chinese population, the General Administration of Customs has been conducting ongoing assessments of the radiation contamination risks associated with Japanese food products.

In strict adherence to safety measures, they have implemented enhanced regulatory measures for imported food from Japan.

In accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations, as well as the provisions of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the General Administration of Customs has decided to take emergency measures by fully suspending imports of water products originating from Japan, effective from August 24, 2023.

China Suspended All Imports of Japanese Seafood from Aug 24

The General Administration of Customs will continue to monitor the situation regarding Japan’s nuclear contaminated water discharge and adjust relevant regulatory measures as needed to mitigate the risks to public health and food safety in China.

Hong Kong and Macau to Ban Imports of Certain Japanese Seafood from August 24th:

On August 22nd, the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the Japanese government’s decision to initiate the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. They announced that starting from August 24th, imports of certain seafood products from specific regions of Japan will be prohibited.

Secretary for the Environment and Ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Wong Kam-sing, stated on August 22nd that in response to Japan’s Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan, Hong Kong will prohibit the import of seafood products from ten prefectures, including Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, and Saitama, starting from August 24th. This prohibition covers all live, frozen, chilled, dried, or otherwise preserved seafood products, sea salt, and processed or unprocessed seaweed from these regions, and it will be gazetted on August 23rd.

Wong Kam-sing emphasized that in the face of potential significant risks, the Hong Kong government must take preventive measures to ensure food safety and public health. The Food Safety Centre in Hong Kong will continue to enhance the testing of imported food from Japan, and this comprehensive testing scope has been in effect since June.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, expressed strong opposition to Japan’s discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea through social media on August 22nd. She stated that food safety and public health are the top priorities of the Hong Kong government and has instructed the Secretary for the Environment and Ecology and relevant departments to immediately implement import control measures.

The Macau Special Administrative Region government also announced that it will prohibit the import of fresh food, animal-derived food products, sea salt, seaweed, including vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products, seafood and seafood products, meat and meat products, and poultry eggs originating from the aforementioned ten prefectures in Japan from August 24th.

The Macau Special Administrative Region government expressed a high level of concern regarding this incident and has maintained close communication with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Gongbei Customs, as well as established a notification mechanism with the Hong Kong Food Safety Centre.