Switzerland and Liechtenstein have lifted import restrictions on food products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, that were imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. This move follows a similar decision by the European Union earlier this month. With these two countries dropping the measures, the number of countries and regions that still have import restrictions on Japanese food products will be reduced to seven, with China and South Korea remaining on the list. The removal of these requirements is expected to ease the administrative burden on producers and exporters in the affected prefectures. Norway, Iceland, and all members of the European Free Trade Association have also eliminated similar import curbs. In response to the moves by European countries, Japan's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry plans to establish an export support platform in Brussels to assist producers. Nonetheless, China remains opposed to Japan's plans to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant. The United States, Israel, and Singapore lifted all post-Fukushima import restrictions on Japanese food products in 2021, while the U.K. and Indonesia did so in 2022.
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 02:53:00 GMT | The Japan Times