TOKYO: Japan’s exports of fishery products to China in August dropped 70.8 percent from a year before in value, reflecting Chinese restrictions, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

China imposed a blanket ban on Japanese aquatic products immediately after Japan began releasing treated water from its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean on Aug. 24.

Scallop exports were particularly affected, falling 71.3 percent. Scallops represent the largest portion of Japan’s fishery product exports, and about half of them goes to China.

Japan’s overall food exports to China slipped 43 percent.

Exports of fishery products to Hong Kong, which has also tightened restrictions on imports from Japan, sagged 11 percent. Hong Kong is the second-largest importer of Japanese fishery products next to mainland China.

Japanese fishery exports to China are expected to be even worse in September as the impact of the restrictions will be fully reflected.

JIJI Press