The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taipei yesterday called on the government to revisit restrictions on food imports from Japan and to seek accession to regional trade blocs to boost bilateral trade ties.
The trade group made the plea upon releasing its annual position paper, which lauded the government for resolving 12 issues it put forth last year.
The chamber urged Taiwan to allow imports of food products from five Japanese prefectures — Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba — after they were banned a decade ago after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.
The chamber said that no item of food from Japan has failed safety tests in the past 10 years and Taiwan’s referendum in favor of the ban has expired.
Now is time for the government to revisit the issue given that Singapore has lifted its restrictions, it said, adding that Japan increased its imports of Taiwanese pineapples and wax apples threefold after China banned them.
The two sides should talk, guided by scientific data, it said.
The chamber also urged the government to find long-term solutions to ensure the stable supply of water, electricity, talent and industrial land, and warned that overdependence on public opinion would negatively affect government efficiency and economic progress.
The chamber said it welcomed Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, and that it has asked the Japanese government to lend its support.
Taiwan is Japan’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral commerce valued at US$69.3 billion last year, government data showed.
National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), who took part in the event, said that the government is drafting measures to make Taiwan more business-friendly.
The minister also expressed gratitude for Japan’s generous COVID-19 vaccine donations.
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