China lifts a nearly 2-year ban on seafood from Japan over Fukushima wastewater

BEIJING (AP) – China has reopened its market to seafood from Japan after a nearly two-year ban over the discharge of slightly radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

A notice from the customs agency said the ban had been lifted Sunday and that imports from most of Japan would be resumed.

The ban, imposed in August 2023, was a major blow to Japan’s fisheries industry. China was the biggest overseas market for Japanese seafood, accounting for more than one-fifth of its exports.

The nuclear plant at Fukushima was heavily damaged by a deadly tsunami that followed a huge offshore earthquake in 2011. Water still must be pumped in to cool the radioactive fuel. The water is then stored in what was an ever-growing complex of tanks on the property.

After years of debate, the utility won government permission to discharge the water gradually into the sea after treating it to remove most of the radioactive elements. Japanese officials said the wastewater would be safer than international standards and have negligible environmental impact.

China disagreed and imposed a ban, saying the discharge would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities on its east coast.

The ban will remain in place for seafood from 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including Fukushima and nearby ones.

Japanese seafood exporters will have to reapply for registration in China and all imports will have to include a health certificate, a certificate of compliance for radioactive substance testing and a certificate of origin, the Chinese customs agency said.