Philippines lifts ban on Japanese meat, farm products from Fukushima

January 9, 2020

The Philippines has lifted a ban on Japanese meat and other agriculture products from Fukushima prefecture, nine years after a powerful quake that affected its nuclear plants.

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, in Manila for a two-day official visit, made the announcement in a press briefing with Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr.

Japan welcomes the lifting of the import ban of food products from Japan by the government of the Philippines yesterday. With this lifting, we hope that safe food from Fukushima as well as other parts of Japan will reach many people in the Philippines,” Motegi said.

The ban was imposed in 2011 after the Daiichi Nuclear Plant disaster, which was triggered by the earthquake. This forced countries, including the Philippines, to ban Japanese products from that area.

Japan’s embassy in Manila said the lifting of the ban covers “meats, fruits, vegetables and seafood” from affected areas.

Allowing Japanese farm  products from Fukushima is seen to improve trade relations between the Philippines and Japan.  

In 2019, the Philippines partially lifted the ban for several fish species from Fukushima, such as Cherry Salmon, Sand Lance, Japanese Dace, and Ayu.  DMS