Beijing, China – On November 19, 2025, China officially announced a complete suspension of all Japanese seafood imports amid escalating diplomatic tensions following controversial remarks by the Japanese Prime Minister on Taiwan. This decisive move has sent shockwaves through Tokyo’s seafood markets, with consumers exercising greater caution over product origins.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed the ban during a news conference in Beijing, citing Japan’s failure to fulfill promised safety documentation obligations and criticizing Japan’s political stance on Taiwan as a trigger for the measure. The escalation reflects deteriorating relations between the two nations after Tokyo’s statements on Taiwan’s potential military threat and Japan’s right to collective self-defense.
Beijing has warned that even if Japanese seafood were to reach Chinese markets under current circumstances, consumer demand would be effectively absent, signaling a broader boycott sentiment across China. This seafood import suspension aligns with other retaliatory steps by China, including travel advisories against Japan for Chinese citizens and suspension of Japanese media content in China.
The ban has reignited calls for diplomatic dialogue from Japanese officials, though Beijing remains firm that the measures will stand unless Tokyo retracts its remarks. These developments underscore growing geopolitical tensions tied to Taiwan and illustrate the ripple effect on bilateral trade and diplomacy.
As this dispute unfolds, Japanese seafood exporters brace for significant economic fallout, and Tokyo markets face adjustments in seafood availability, reflecting the heightened state of Sino-Japanese relations in late 2025.
