TOKYO, Jan 31 (News On Japan) - Japan's agricultural, forestry, and fishery product exports reached an unprecedented high in 2023, for the 11th consecutive year, despite exports to China experienced a downturn due the backlash over the release of treated water in Fukushima.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries announced that the export value of these products and foodstuffs increased by 2.9% from the previous year, totaling 1,4547 trillion yen. This marks the 11th consecutive year of record-breaking exports.
The surge in dining out globally post-COVID-19 and the prolonged weak yen have contributed positively to this trend.
In terms of individual items, exports of pearls, green tea, and beef saw substantial increases.
However, the situation was different for exports to China. Since the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in August last year, China's import restrictions continue, leading to a 14.6% decrease in exports to China, amounting to 237.6 billion yen.
Seafood such as scallops and products commonly used in Japanese restaurants, like sake, were among those that saw a decline.
Despite these challenges, the Ministry acknowledged the efforts and diversification of exporters as positive factors. The ministry remains committed to expanding the export value to 2 trillion yen by 2025, despite the ongoing import restrictions by China and other hurdles.
Source: ANN
