The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today reiterated that the import of aquatic products from 10 higher-risk Japanese prefectures has been banned since August 24, 2023, adding that a public announcement will be made if there is any adjustment to the policy.

The statement came in response to media enquiries on the relaxation of import control measures on Japanese food products by the Mainland.

The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China yesterday issued a “Notice on Conditional Resumption of the Import of Aquatic Products from Certain Regions in Japan”, announcing that imports of some aquatic products of Japanese origin – except for those from 10 specified prefectures – will resume with immediate effect.

According to the notice, imports must comply with relevant national laws, regulations and food safety standards, and the Japanese authorities must effectively discharge their official regulatory responsibilities.

In its statement, the HKSAR Government said imports of aquatic products from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama have been banned since August 24, 2023, to safeguard food safety and protect public health in Hong Kong.

The measure was taken in response to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station into the sea by the Japanese government.

The HKSAR Government said it must act in a prudent manner, given that the duration and scale of the discharge are unprecedented.

It also outlined that it has maintained communication with the Japanese authorities on relevant issues. This has included requesting that Japan provide information on the latest situation, as well as scientific evidence concerning the discharge, to assess whether there may be conditions for relaxing the current precautionary measures.