Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) officials have announced an increased effort in promoting the export of seafood from Japan to more destinations in Asia, the United States, and Europe, aiming to find alternative markets in response to China’s import ban on Japanese seafood.
China used to be the largest market for Japanese seafood exports, but last year, due to the comprehensive ban imposed by the Chinese government following concerns over nuclear wastewater discharge, Japan has prioritized finding alternative avenues for exporting seafood such as scallops.
In the first half of 2024, Japan’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products experienced a decline for the first time since 2020, with a sharp 43.8% drop in exports to China. Scallops were hit the hardest, with a 37% year-on-year decrease.
According to a report by Reuters, Norihiko Ishiguro, Chairman of JETRO, stated, “Although we have not fully compensated for the losses from China in terms of quantity, exports to the United States, Canada, Thailand, and Vietnam are increasing, significantly driving the momentum for developing alternative markets.”
He added that JETRO is establishing new commercial channels in Asia, the United States, and Europe to diversify the export destinations for scallops and other products affected by China’s restrictions.
Last Friday, Ishiguro mentioned, “Our extensive promotional efforts have allowed us to readjust the 20% to 30% decline in scallop exports caused by the Chinese import ban.”
“Japanese seafood exports have great growth potential… It won’t be long before we can make up for the gap caused by the Chinese embargo,” he added.
Government data shows that in 2022, Japan exported aquatic products worth 871 billion yen (approximately 5.92 billion US dollars) to China, making China the largest export market for Japanese aquatic products. This figure, including pearls and coral, plummeted to 610 billion yen in 2023 and stood at 35 billion yen in the first half of 2024.
Ishiguro also mentioned that Japan has dispatched delegations to Vietnam and Mexico to explore alternative processing locations for scallops to replace China’s supply chain.
He pointed out that emerging markets like Eastern Europe and the Middle East are poised for growth, with as many as 2,000 Japanese restaurants in Poland alone. Additionally, in regions outside of China, Japanese seafood no longer carries any reputation risks.
According to JETRO’s survey, there are significant growth opportunities in the southern United States, especially in Texas, the second-largest economy in the U.S. with a total economic scale of 2.4 trillion dollars. With a rapidly increasing population, the number of Japanese restaurants in Texas has significantly risen in recent years, with Japanese cuisines like ramen and rice balls gaining popularity. This trend further encourages JETRO’s optimism in expanding the Japanese food market.