Taiwan on Wednesday eased import restrictions further on foods from five Japanese prefectures, making it possible for all Japanese food products to be shipped to Taiwan in principle.
The additional easing covers items including mushrooms, game meat and koshiabura (a mountain vegetable) from Fukushima, which hosts the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and is nearby Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures.
Meanwhile, attaching inspection reports for radioactive materials and certificates of origin will remain mandatory.
Fishery products from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures and tea from Shizuoka Prefecture can now be imported to Taiwan without such inspection reports.
Taiwan had maintained stricter import restrictions than other economies. Its health authority stated that the latest review of import restrictions on Japanese food products was based on science and international standards.
Taiwan announced in July its decision to ease the import restrictions, which were introduced in response to the meltdowns at the Fukushima plant in March 2011. Following a 60-day public comment period, the easing took effect on Wednesday.
Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tetsushi Sakamoto said in a statement that Taiwan’s move is a “positive move that supports reconstruction in disaster-afflicted areas.”
In February 2022, the administration of then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen resumed imports of food products from the five prefectures after a break of about 11 years as concerns over radioactive contamination among consumers eased.
Taiwan’s latest move came also as part of its efforts to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework, which includes Japan.