TOKYO: Hong Kong still has a ban in place on food imports from the five Japanese prefectures most affected by a radiation-leak scare following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Agricultural minister Yuji Yamamoto said in Hong Kong on Thursday 11 August that he has requested that the territory lift this ban.
Imports of Japanese food, including milk, vegetables and fruits, from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba prefectures have been banned since March 2011 following the magnitude-9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that led to the nuclear plant meltdowns, over worries about contamination by radioactive substances. However, meat, poultry, eggs and aquatic products can be imported with radiation certificates stating their safety. “I made a request to (Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam during a meeting Wednesday), if the regulation on the import of food from Japan could be relaxed and be eliminated,” Yamamoto told the press at the opening of the annual Food Expo.
“(On Friday) I should have a meeting with Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man. I expect that they will respond after very careful consideration and deliberation,” he said, adding that he wishes there could be a scientific-based analysis of products from Fukushima to eliminate the reputational damage.
Ko said monitoring measures will remain for the safety of Hong Kong people. “We will look at all the information and make decisions on a scientific basis. In the upcoming meeting (with Yamamoto), we will explain to them Hong Kong’s position, which, most importantly, is that we will manage food safety based on the wellbeing of Hong Kong people,” he said. The value of Japan’s exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products last year reached a record high of ¥745 billion ($7.34 billion), while Hong Kong remained the top destination for the 11th consecutive year, with a value of ¥179 billion, marking a 33 percent increase from 2014, according to ministry statistics.
