September 3, 2025
TAIPEI – Taiwan authorities said Monday they plan to fully lift import restrictions on such Japanese foods as agricultural and fishery products that were put in place following the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The total lifting of the ban will be officially decided after a 60-day public comment period.
This will eliminate the requirement for radioactive substance inspection reports, which have been mandatory for food products from Fukushima, Ibaraki and three other prefectures, as well as the requirement for certificates of origin for all Japanese food products.
According to Taiwan’s health ministry, Taiwan has conducted radioactive substance inspections on more than 260,000 Japanese food products since the 2011 nuclear accident through July this year. All samples met both Japanese and Taiwan safety standards.
Based on Taiwan’s risk assessment of Japanese foods, the ministry concluded that the risk from radioactive substances in Japanese foods is “negligible.”
According to Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, Taiwan halted imports of all food products from five prefectures, including Fukushima and Ibaraki, in 2011.
In 2015, it strengthened import restrictions by requiring certificates of origin for all food products from the other 42 prefectures. It also required radiation testing reports for seafood products from four prefectures, including Iwate and Miyagi.
In 2022, the import ban from the five prefectures was lifted, with the exception of certain foods, on the condition that radioactive substance inspection reports and certificates of origin were attached.
In 2024, import restrictions were further eased on foods from the five prefectures.
According to a Japanese government source, the Japanese side had been “continuously engaging with Taiwan authorities” toward the total lifting of restrictions.
Japan’s agriculture ministry said that 55 countries and regions introduced import restrictions on certain Japanese foods following the nuclear accident.
After food inspections confirmed that the radioactive substance levels did not pose any problems, 49 countries and regions lifted their restrictions, starting with Canada in June 2011. The United States and European countries have also lifted their restrictions.
In May this year, the Japanese and Chinese governments announced they had agreed on procedures to resume exports of Japanese seafood products to China. Seafood from 37 prefectures, including Hokkaido and Aomori, will be eligible for resumption, but the ban will remain in place for 10 prefectures, including Fukushima and Miyagi.
South Korea has prohibited seafood imports from eight prefectures, including Fukushima. It has also suspended imports of certain vegetables and mushrooms from 15 prefectures, including Fukushima and Miyagi.
Japanese food products exported to South Korea require additional certificates if even trace amounts of radioactive substances are detected.