１２國家完全撤消對日本海產輸入規制

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

日本の魚輸入規制、１２か国が完全撤廃

　東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故を受けて各国が導入した日本の水産物の輸入規制が、今年に入り、解除される動きが出てきた。

　日本の水産物輸出額は震災前の水準に戻りつつあり、安倍政権が掲げる「農林水産物の輸出拡大」の後押しとなりそうだ。

　農林水産省の統計によると、今年１～９月の日本の水産物の輸出額（速報値）は、２０１０年同時期比で１７％増の１５７５億円だった。今年３月に初めて１０年の水準を回復し、その後も毎月、１０年同時期比を上回っている。特にタイなどアジア向けのカツオ、イワシの輸出が増えている。

　日本の水産物を巡っては今年９月、韓国が福島第一原発の汚染水を理由に８県産の全面禁輸に踏み切るなど規制を強化した。一方で、ベトナムは同月、震災後に導入した輸入物の抜き取り検査などの規制を撤廃。同国への水産物輸出額は、規制があった１２年も約１１８億円と米国、中国などに次いで５番目に多く、有力な輸出先だ。

　日本の主要マーケットである東南アジアでは、今年３月にマレーシアが輸入規制を撤廃。震災後、約５０の国・地域が原発事故に関連した規制を導入したが、これでカナダ、メキシコ、ニュージーランドなど１２か国が規制を完全撤廃した。

（2013年11月21日07時18分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

At the beginning of this year, a movement had come out to cancel the restriction imposed on the import of Japanese marine products that was introduced by individual countries in response to the accident of the Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant.

     Marine product export value of Japan was likely to return to the level before the earthquake disaster, and was likely to serve to back up "the export expansion of agriculture-and-forestry marine products" which the Abe Administration had upheld.

     According to statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the export value (preliminary figures) of the marine products of Japan for the period from January to September was 157,500 million yen, being an increase of 17% compared to the same period in 2010. In March for the first time it recovered back to the level of 2010. Furthermore, every month it exceeded the same month of 2010. Especially the export of bonitos and sardines in Asia, such as Thailand, was increasing.

Centering on Japanese marine products, in September this year South Korea tightened up its regulation, such as deciding on a complete export ban on eight prefectures for reasons of the contaminated water from the Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant. On the other hand, in the same month Vietnam abolished its regulation of randomly inspecting the imported goods etc. that was introduced after the earthquake disaster. As for the marine product export value to this country, in 2012 even with the regulations in place, it was about 11,800 million yen, being at the 5^th place following the U.S., China, etc.; it was a leading export destination.

In Southeast Asia which was the main market for Japan, Malaysia abolished the import restriction in March this year. After the earthquake disaster, although about 50 countries and areas introduced the regulation having regard to the nuclear power plant disaster, 12 nations, such as Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand had fully abolished their regulations now.

I think the abolition of regulation should be good news for the fishermen in Japan.