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Japan's fresh vegetable market is estimated at approximately 14 million metric tons of which around 5 percent comes from imports. In 2023, the United States was the fourth largest supplier of fresh vegetables to Japan at $52 million and the second largest by volume at 46,309 metric tons.

In relation to persistent rising food prices, Japan has seen a decline in overall vegetable oil consumption. Due to the more favorable crush margin for canola compared to soybeans, FAS/Tokyo forecasts a reduction in soybean imports and crush, while seeing an increase in rapeseed imports and crush for both MY 2023/24 and MY 2024/25.

This report highlights Japan’s food processing industry, notable trends, and a market snapshot of western Japan. The industry experienced a 4.1 percent decline in the value of food produced in 2023 from 2022 on a dollar basis totaling $182 billion compared to $190 billion in 2022.

Fluid milk production will be up slightly in 2023 as a greater number of heifers enter milk production. Demand for dairy products in the hotel, restaurant, and institutional food service industries will be pushed by an influx of foreign tourists, although surplus drinking milk will still be diverted to further processing into butter and non-fat dry milk for which ending stocks will finish higher in 2022.

On October 13, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) opened a public comment period for proposed revisions to the genetically engineered (GE) labeling requirements of the Food Labeling Standards.

On October 13, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) opened a public comment period for the proposed revision to allergy labeling requirements for walnuts in Japan’s Food Labeling Standards. CAA will accept comments in Japanese through November 12, 2022.

On October 4, 2022, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) invited public comments on the proposed Basic Policy for Promoting Decarbonization of Aviation. The proposed policy identifies Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) introduction as a key strategy for reducing CO2 emissions in Japan’s aviation sector.

On September 30th, in a revision to its January announcement, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries affirmed that it will increase the tariff-rate quota volumes for butter to 9,788 MT but will hold non-fat dry milk (NFDM) at 750 MT for Japanese fiscal year (JFY) 2021. Total planned imports are estimated to be about 137,000 MT (milk equivalent).

This report is an overview and update of Japan's food and agricultural import regulations and standards (FAIRS). For more information on Japan's certification requirements, see the FAIRS Export Certificate Report for Japan.

This report lists major export certificates required by the Japanese government to export food and agricultural products from the United States to Japan. For more information on Japan's import requirements, see the Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Annual Country Report for Japan at https://gain.fas.usda.gov/.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) proposed revisions to Japan’s maximum residue levels for 7 agricultural chemicals (Fludioxonil, Flutriafol, Isopyrazam, Pyraziflumid, Pyridalyl, Trinexapac-ethyl and Zoxamide) for various agricultural commodities.