China bans farm produce imports from Japan
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China will ban the import of farm produce from 12 areas in Japan, including food, edible agricultural products and feedstuff, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement published on Friday said that starting from April 8, China banned imports of foodstuffs, edible farm produce, along with fodders from 12 areas in Japan, comparing only five Japanese counties being blacklisted on March 24.
The 12 areas are Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Chiba, Tohoku, Saitama, Yokoso, Tokyo, Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata prefectures.
China's quality watchdog said in a statement on Friday that the restrictions were needed to ensure the safety of food and agricultural products in China. That's due to fears they could be contaminated by radiation from the earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant.
Importers of food, edible farm produce and fodders from other Japanese areas have to provide documents issued by Japanese government agencies while applying for quality inspection and quarantine at customhouses across China. The required documents include certificates for radioactivity-free inspection and for places of origin, according to the statement.
AQSIQ also asked importers of Japanese food products to establish a tracking system for imports and marketing, keeping for the record such details as name of the food, date of manufacture, shelf life, as well as buyers' and exporters' information for further contact.
The regulator did not say how long the ban would remain in effect.
At least 25 countries have restricted imports of farm and other food products from Japan in response to leaks of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
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