China conditionally resumes some aquatic imports from Japan

China will conditionally resume imports of certain aquatic products from Japan, excluding 10 prefectures, including Fukushima and Gunma, the General Administration of Customs issued an online notice on Sunday.

The move follows long-term international monitoring and independent sampling by Chinese authorities regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which found no abnormalities.

The administration said that it also comes on the premise that the Japanese government has pledged to ensure the safety of aquatic products exported to China.

Effective immediately, imports of aquatic products originating from Japan will be resumed, apart from products from the 10 designated prefectures such as Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi and Ibaraki.

Japanese businesses exporting aquatic products to China must comply with relevant Chinese regulations on the registration of overseas food producers, said the notice.

The administration stated that such imports must be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by the Japanese authorities, a certificate confirming compliance with radioactive material testing requirements and a certificate of origin.

If Japan fails to effectively fulfil its regulatory responsibilities, China will promptly adopt control measures to ensure the health and safety of its citizens, said the notice.