Following the ban on scallop imports from China, export diversification to the United States and Southeast Asia is accelerating.
In August 2023, following the Chinese government’s release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, the Chinese government announced a complete ban on Japanese seafood imports. For Japanese producers and exporters, who lost their main export market for seafood, including scallops, diversifying export destinations became an urgent necessity.
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) have been rapidly developing sales channels in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Malaysia, in particular, is attracting attention as a new major market due to its growing affluent and middle class with high interest in Japanese food and purchasing power.
Hokkaido scallops, characterized by their rich sweetness cultivated in the clear, cold waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, are experiencing a rapid increase in demand in high-end restaurants and supermarkets in Malaysia. Seeing this crisis as an opportunity, an increasing number of producers and companies are embarking on the establishment of full-scale sales channels in Southeast Asia.
Our organization is strengthening its support for seafood exports to the Malaysian market. Producers and businesses interested in developing sales channels are welcome to contact us.
Source: Various reports from JETRO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2023)