Tensions between China, Korea, and Japan have escalated, with economic coercion becoming a key issue. South Korea has restricted imports of Japanese marine products since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011. In response, the Japanese government has requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a panel to address the issue [dd21a1b6].
Tokyo's recent announcement of discharging treated water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean has raised concerns in South Korea. The article emphasizes the importance of taking measures against false rumors and disinformation [dd21a1b6] [786b59d5].
China has also imposed a ban on Japanese marine products, impacting scallop and sea cucumber farmers. The article suggests that Japan should consider filing a complaint with the WTO against China's arbitrary economic coercion. The outcome of such a filing could impact the legitimacy of the current South Korean ban as well [dd21a1b6].
In a significant development, China has announced plans to gradually ease its import ban on Japanese seafood, which was imposed in August 2023 following Japan's announcement of a gradual release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. An agreement was reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for monitoring the safety of these imports. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that China will resume imports that meet safety standards, marking a potential thaw in trade relations [efc0c805].
On September 20, 2024, Kishida confirmed that China agreed to lift the ban on Japanese seafood once the UN nuclear watchdog expands third-country roles in testing treated water from Japan's nuclear plant. The IAEA has confirmed that the treated water poses no significant risks, which has been a crucial factor in this agreement. Kishida emphasized the government's firm stance for the immediate removal of all restrictions, highlighting Japan's aim to safeguard its sovereignty while ensuring impartial monitoring [51092664].
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has declared that Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the Pacific Ocean complies with international safety standards. The IAEA conducted a review mission in October 2023 and found that the water treatment facilities and equipment used to treat the water meet the necessary standards. The levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, found in the surrounding waters are well below World Health Organisation limits for drinking water quality. However, China and Hong Kong imposed import bans on Japanese seafood due to safety concerns. Japan has discharged a total of 23,400 tonnes of water since August 2023 and plans to continue releasing one million tonnes of discharge over the next 30-40 years [786b59d5].
In a recent report by Kyodo News, it was revealed that Chinese nuclear power plants released wastewater containing tritium in 2022 at levels up to nine times higher than the planned annual discharge from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi complex. The amount of tritium in the wastewater at 15 locations greatly surpassed the maximum annual limit of 22 trillion becquerels set for the treated water planned to be released from the Fukushima power plant. The Qinshan plant in China discharged around 202 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2022. The Japanese government said the Fukushima plant was releasing about 2.2 trillion becquerels of tritium annually before the meltdowns in 2011. In July 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that the Fukushima water discharge aligns with global safety standards and will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment [4c213fcb] [db3c32c8] [fb1081cb].
Japan's seafood exports have been impacted by China's ban on imports after Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant started discharging treated water into the sea in August 2023. Yamanaka, a marine product processing company in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, has been notified by its Hong Kong business partner that all transactions will be discontinued. Japan's exports of marine products totaled ¥390.1 billion last year, up only 0.7% from the previous year. Exports to mainland China fell sharply, while exports to the United States rose. The average unit price of abalone caught in Iwate Prefecture between November and December decreased by 35.3% compared to the previous year. Many fisheries are seeking alternative sales channels, such as Genshoei Kitanihon Fishery Co., which has begun expanding sales in Southeast Asia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has evaluated the treated water release as consistent with international safety standards, but China has not lifted the import ban. TEPCO is estimated to owe about ¥37 billion in compensation for rumor-causing damage. The fishing industry in Fukushima has been affected for a long time, and the amount caught by the three fisheries cooperative associations in the coastal area has returned to only about one-quarter of the pre-2011 quake level. However, there has been no major impact on market prices thanks to campaigns to increase consumption of marine products. Mistakes by TEPCO in the process of releasing the treated water have raised concerns about the future of the fisheries industry in Fukushima [8e72ba88] [61e83463].
The head of the U.N. atomic agency, Rafael Grossi, reassured local Japanese representatives in Fukushima that the ongoing discharge of treated radioactive wastewater at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is safe and meets safety standards. Grossi stated that any restrictions on products from the region are 'not scientific.' The discharges began in August 2024 after more than a decade of cleanup work following the 2011 disaster that damaged the plant and caused triple meltdowns. The discharges have faced opposition from fishing groups and neighboring countries, including China. Grossi emphasized the importance of transparency, technical accuracy, and open dialogue. He expressed support for increasing Japan's nuclear capacity and offered technical assistance to improve the idled Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. The restart of the plant remains uncertain and is subject to the host community's consent [3f889a82].
In a significant development, peaches from Japan's Fukushima region have made their debut at Harrods in London, priced at £80 ($100) for a box of three. This marks the first sale of Fukushima produce in Europe since the 2011 nuclear disaster, which had severely impacted the region's agricultural reputation. Known as a 'fruit kingdom' before the disaster, Fukushima's agricultural sales plummeted due to health fears following the meltdown. TEPCO has been actively promoting Fukushima produce through rigorous radiation inspections to assure safety. The sale of these peaches began on September 7, 2024, and has been celebrated by Fukushima residents in London as a 'major step forward' for the region's recovery [909f05b2].
Around 136 tonnes of nuclear waste from Japan was secretly transferred to a uranium storage site in Utah, US. The waste, including uranium ore and ion-exchange resin with absorbed uranium, was shipped from Japan to the port of Everett in Washington state and transported to Energy Fuels' uranium mill at White Mesa. The mill is located less than 2km from Bears Ears National Monument and close to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's ancestral lands. The transfer of the waste was not reported in the Japanese mainstream media. The US and Japanese companies have not disclosed the amount paid for processing and disposing of the waste. The waste is planned to be stored as slag in vast pits at the mill. Environmentalists and anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned the transfer, stating that it shifts the burden of Japan's radioactive waste to the people of White Mesa and indigenous communities who are already suffering from the issue [793bc147].