Hong Kong's Japanese restaurants and seafood suppliers are preparing for a potential slump in business as the city considers banning aquatic products from 10 Japanese regions amid Tokyo's plans to discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. The affected prefectures, including Tokyo and Fukushima, account for about 15% of the total imported aquatic products from Japan. While restaurants could find substitutes from other regions, they fear that the lack of prestigious seafood options may damage their reputation and customer perception. Hong Kong was the second largest market for Japanese fishery exports after mainland China last year, purchasing $546 million worth of aquatic products from Japan. The city’s Japanese restaurants and seafood suppliers previously experienced a decline in confidence in Japanese food following the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, which took about a year to restore.
Mon, 17 Jul 2023 04:03:03 GMT | ABC News