Hisane Masaki | Oct 18, 2011 8:37AM EDT
Japan’s exports of agricultural, fishery and forestry products to the United States grew for the fourth consecutive month in August on a year-on-year basis, rising 4.4 percent to $73.8 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The U.S. remained the second-largest importer of Japanese agricultural, fishery and forestry products after Hong Kong, which purchased $96.4 million worth of such products in August.
Japan’s overall shipments of agricultural, fishery and forestry products fell for the fifth straight month in August on a year-on-year basis, dropping 6.9 percent to $427.1 million, as many countries and regions continued to cut back on imports.
Japan, the world's largest net food importer, has been revving up its food export drive in recent years. But import restrictions imposed by many countries and regions in the wake of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan have dealt a serious blow to the nation’s food shipments.
Amid fears of radioactive contamination from the nuclear plant damaged in the wake of Japan’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami, about 40 foreign countries and regions have imposed import restrictions on Japanese foods. Only Canada has lifted all import restrictions on Japanese foods.
