TOKYO, Aug. 23 ― Brazil has lifted import restrictions on foods from Fukushima prefecture, which were placed in after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Brazil was the last Latin American country that lifted the restrictions on food products from Fukushima.
The move comes after the World Trade Organization (WTO) in March backed a Japanese complaint against South Korea’s import ban on seafood as well as additional testing requirements on agricultural foods.
In the wake of the disaster in 2011, like South Korea and other countries, Brazil imposed restrictions on food imports from Fukushima and 11 prefectures: Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Saitama, Chiba and Tokyo.
Brazil requested to submit radiation test certificates that proved all imports from the 12 prefectures were not be contaminated with radiation.
In 2012, Brazil lifted the import restrictions — except from Fukushima.
Brazil is Japan’s No. 31 destination for its food exports. In 2017, Japan shipped its foods to Brazil valued at 1.75 billion yen.
According to the agriculture ministry, the number of countries that imposed and lifted import restrictions on Japanese foods reduced to 25 countries, from 54 countries.