TOKYO: Taiwan will ease restrictions on imports of Japanese food products, including seafood from areas around the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo’s ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said on Wednesday (Sep 25).
The move comes after Beijing announced last week it would “gradually resume” importing seafood from Japan after imposing a blanket ban last year over the release of water from the power station, which was hit by a tsunami in 2011.
“Today, the Taiwanese authorities announced the relaxation of import control measures for Japanese food products introduced following the accident at … Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,” a ministry statement said.
That involves lifting import bans on products such as wild bird meat and mushrooms from five regions, including Fukushima, on the condition that radioactive material inspection reports and certificates of origin be submitted, it said.
Marine products from the northeastern Iwate and Miyagi prefectures near Fukushima can be exported “without a radioactive material inspection report”.
Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration posted a brief notice on its website on Wednesday saying that the import rules “are revised and take effect immediately”.
Imports “should be accompanied by radiation testing certificates” from Fukushima and four other prefectures, the notice said, adding that the regulations will be applied “based on the date of exports”.
