Japan pushes towards increasing seafood exports to ASEAN.

Thailand is the number 1 destination in the region.

January 10th, 2024 -10.17 hrs

Prachachart Turakij: International News

Japan lost its most important seafood export market from China and Hong Kong due to the countries prohibiting the import of both fresh and processed Japanese seafood. As a result, Japan is trying to speed up the export of seafood to the ASEAN region. By aggressively promoting and creating many marketing activities.

At the end of October 2023, the Japan External Trade Organization in Bangkok (JETRO Bangkok) launched the HOTATE Festival campaign, a hotate oyster festival sent directly from Japan.

To promote Japans premium Hotate scallops to Thai consumers and encourage us to consume more.

The JETRO have

worked together with the importers, Restaurant and retail business operators to stimulate consumption to expand product distribution channels in new market segments in Thailand

Followed by the "ASEAN Media Event" activity by the "Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries" of Japan. Inviting media, bloggers, and influencers from 4 ASEAN countries: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Gain experience tasting fresh scallops and sea cucumbers and observe the production process. From cultivation to processing In Aomori City and the Hokkaido region, "Prachachat Turakij" was one of two media bloggers from Thailand who received invitations to participate in this activity. Last December

The activity is divided into 2 main parts.

The first part was a tour of the scallop/ sea cucumber production process from upstream to downstream. Starting by providing briefings then visiting farming and observing how they caught from the sea at the fishing port. After that, we observed the preparing process before sell them fresh and visiting the food processing in the factory. We had a meeting with fishing association groups, Food Processing representatives, and local agencies who provided

information on why Japanese scallops and sea cucumbers are premium. Furthermore, representatives from Japan exchanged information and ideas with the media, bloggers, and influencers from 4 ASEAN countries: How is Japanese seafood consumption in each country? and suggestions that would make Japan increase exports to each country.

The second part is testing scallops and sea cucumbers, being cooked in various dishes throughout the trip. And testing raw ones caught fresh from the sea. It is an experience with the freshest ingredients.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture frankly stated that this event aims to promote the attractiveness of scallops and Japanese sea cucumbers. Including other Japanese fishery products for consumers in ASEAN countries. to expand exports Both adding new export destinations and increasing export volumes in existing destinations that are already doing well.

Although the activity focuses on promoting scallops and sea cucumbers, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture said Japan wants to promote overall exports of fisheries and seafood products.

When asked about the reason for specifically promoting scallops and sea cucumbers, Yoshikatsu Kimura, Deputy Director of the Export Policy Planning Division, said: According to the Bureau of Export and Foreign Affairs, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, scallops are one of Japan's 29 important export products. It is one of the most widely produced and exported fishery products; therefore efforts are being made to increase further. Sea cucumbers are not an important export product. But Japan believes it can expand exports, especially to Asian countries. Therefore, sea cucumbers were added to this public relations activity as well.

Yshikatsu Kimura further explained that in addition to scallops being an important seafood export of Japan. The Japanese government has also designated yellowtail, sea bream, pearls, and other fishery products as important exports. Efforts are being made to increase exports of these products and overall fishery products.

In 2022, the total value of Japan's fishery exports was 387.3 billion yen (about 93.967 million baht). The top export destinations include China (87.1 billion yen), Hong Kong (75.5 billion yen), and the United States (53.9 billion yen). Taiwan (34.6 billion yen), South Korea (24.4 billion yen), Thailand (23.5 billion yen), Vietnam (21.6 billion yen), and Singapore (9.6 billion yen).

Scallops are the top exports seafood of Japan. In 2022, the export value was 91,052 million yen, accounting for 23.5% of Japan's total seafood exports. Its main export markets are China (46,724 million yen), Taiwan (11,165 million yen), the United States (7,815 million yen), South Korea (7,540 million yen), the Netherlands (5,296 million yen), Australia (2,090 million yen), and Thailand (1,197 million yen).

This information shows that Thailand is a top import of fisheries and seafood products in ASEAN including overall seafood and scallops in particular.

In the big picture, Japan exporting goods

are in agricultural, forestry, fishery, and food worth approximately 1.4 trillion yen in 2023, and Japan aims to increase exports to 2 trillion yen by 2025 and 5 trillion yen by 2023. Fishing products are one of the main export products.

Asked about the importance of the ASEAN market to Japan's fishing and seafood industry, Yoshikatsu Kimura said that many ASEAN countries are among the top 10 export destinations for Japan's agricultural, forestry, fishery, and food products. Japanese fishery products are already familiar to many consumers in some countries. And food markets of ASEAN countries are expected to grow by considering the growth of the economy and the population. Therefore, ASEAN is an export destination for Japanese seafood products that is expected to grow.

How Japan will promote its exports, Yoshikatsu Kimura stated the first step is by communicating the product's attractiveness to consumers and disseminating information through various activities and reaching out to retail stores and restaurants, such as events held at retail stores in Bangkok allowed many consumers tasted Japanese seafood products. On the business side, trade matching activities between importers-buyers and businesses in Japan are also necessary. We have invited buyers to come to Japan as well as invite them to participate in Japanese product exhibitions internationally and organize business meetings online.

With these activities, Japan aims to increase the value of global exports of agricultural, forestry, fishery, and food products to 2 trillion yen by 2025 and 5 trillion yen by 2030 and hopes to export them to countries in Japan. ASEAN group at a growth rate similar to or higher than the growth rate of global exports, Deputy Director of the Export Policy Planning Division of The Bureau of Export and Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan states the goals.