Japan’s food exports hit record in 2025 as US demand offsets China disruption

Japan’s exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products surged to a record high in 2025, supported by strong demand from the United States and a partial recovery in shipments to China, even as trade restrictions continued to weigh on seafood sales.

Exports totalled 1.701 trillion yen ($10.9 billion) last year, up 12.8% from 1.507 trillion yen in 2024, marking the 13th straight year of growth, according to data released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

The United States remained Japan’s largest export market for the second consecutive year, with shipments rising 13.7% to 276.2 billion yen. Demand for products such as green tea and beef remained resilient despite tariffs introduced in April, officials said.

China ranked second, with exports increasing 7.0% to 179.9 billion yen, rebounding from a steep 29% decline a year earlier. Higher shipments of ornamental koi, beer and logs helped lift the figures, though seafood exports remain subdued.

China had halted imports of all Japanese seafood in August 2023 following the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. While Beijing eased the ban in mid-2025, some restrictions are still in place, limiting recovery in seafood trade.

“Even after the easing, seafood exports to China have not recovered significantly,” said Kazuyoshi Nakasugi, deputy director of MAFF’s export policy planning division. He added that Japan was accelerating efforts to diversify export destinations, particularly across Asia and the United States.

By product category, beef, rice, green tea and yellowtail all recorded their highest-ever export values in 2025. Exports to markets including Taiwan and South Korea also reached record levels, supported by growing global interest in Japanese cuisine, rising food awareness among inbound tourists and increasing health consciousness.

Despite the record performance, exports fell short of the government’s 2-trillion-yen target for 2025. Tokyo now aims to lift food exports to 5 trillion yen by 2030 by expanding sales beyond Japanese-affiliated outlets to major overseas retailers and restaurant chains, while boosting production of high-demand items such as matcha.

($1 = 155.50 yen)