China Customs: Strictly prevents the export of Japanese food with risk of nuclear pollution

On 7 July, 2023, the person in charge of the Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the General Administration of Customs answered questions from reporters on the comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water in Fukushima, Japan, issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The person in charge said that since the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011, Chinese Customs has always attached great importance to the radioactive contamination of food exported from Japan to China caused by the accident, closely following the measures taken by the Japanese government in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident, constantly carrying out assessments of the risk of radioactive contamination of Japanese food, and responding in a timely manner.

In order to prevent the export of radioactively contaminated Japanese food to China and protect the safety of imported food for Chinese consumers, Chinese customs prohibits the import of food from ten prefectures (capitals) including Fukushima, Japan, and strictly reviews the accompanying certification documents for food, especially aquatic products (including edible aquatic products) in a bid to strengthen supervision. It also continues to strengthen the detection and monitoring of radioactive substances by strictly implementing 100% inspection, so as to ensure the safety of Japanese food exported to Chin and strictly prevent the import of risky products.

China Customs has noticed the comprehensive assessment report recently issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Japan’s Fukushima nuclear pollution water discharge plan, holding the view that this report fails to fully reflect the opinions of all experts involved in the evaluation work, and the relevant conclusions have not been unanimously approved by all experts. In addition, the Japanese side still has many problems in terms of the legitimacy of the sea discharge, the reliability of the purification equipment, and the completeness of the monitoring plan.

At present, the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan into the sea has become the focus of global attention, and it has also caused Chinese consumers to worry about the safety of food imported from Japan. China Customs will maintain a high level of vigilance and take all necessary measures in a timely manner depending on the development of the situation to ensure the food safety of Chinese consumers.