Taiwan Lifts Restrictions On All Japanese Food Imports

Taiwan has lifted all remaining restrictions on Japanese food imports, signaling further support for Tokyo amid reports that China plans to halt purchases following a dispute with Japan’s new prime minister.

Taipei first imposed a complete ban on products from five Japanese regions near the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in 2011.

Some restrictions were eased in 2022 and 2024, but Friday’s decision lifts the last remaining restrictions.

Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration announced in a statement that “Japanese food safety management measures return to normal” with immediate effect.

It noted that since 2011, Taiwan has conducted radiation testing on over 270,000 batches of Japanese food, with a failure rate of zero percent.

“The risk assessment of additional radiation exposure risk from Japanese food is ‘negligible’,” the statement revealed, citing unspecified scientific data.

The agency said after Taiwan’s relaxation, only China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, and South Korea have specific import control measures for Japanese food products.

Taiwan’s announcement follows renewed tensions between Japan and China after newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted earlier this month that Tokyo might intervene militarily if the island were attacked.

China considers democratic Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly warned that it could use force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

On Thursday, images of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te holding a plate of sushi circulated on social media as a gesture of solidarity with Tokyo.

Lai, a vocal advocate for Taiwan’s sovereignty and a frequent target of Beijing’s criticism, accused China of “severely” undermining regional stability amid the growing dispute.

However, China’s foreign ministry dismissed Lai’s posts as a mere “stunt.”