Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture announced Friday that a health and quarantine agreement with China has officially taken effect, potentially paving the way for Japan to resume beef exports to China, which have been suspended since 2001.
China has banned imports of Japanese beef since an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad-cow disease, occurred in Japan in September 2001.
The ministry stated that discussions with China will continue, particularly regarding food safety and radiation testing, before beef exports can restart. A government official noted that the agreement’s enforcement marks a major turning point, but it remains unclear when shipments might resume.
The development comes as Japanese beef producers also face increasing challenges from the U.S. market, where a 25% tariff imposed under President Donald Trump’s reciprocal trade policy is set to take effect on August 1.
In a related move, China last month lifted a nearly two-year blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports from certain regions, a measure initially imposed over concerns regarding the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
