China-bound exports of Japanese sake, food items delayed amid row: Sources
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Trade industry sources said that customs clearance of some sake items have doubled in some cases.
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TOKYO - China-bound exports of Japanese sake and food items have been delayed amid an escalating diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in November 2025 on a Taiwan contingency, trade industry sources said on Jan 8.
The slow customs clearance in China is believed to be part of its measures in response to Ms Takaichi’s comments that suggested Japan would act in the event of coercive measures against Taiwan.
According to the sources, the Japanese embassy in Beijing has received inquiries from affected companies.
Following Ms Takaichi’s remarks, China has increased its economic pressure on Japan, urging its citizens not to visit it and reinstating its ban on Japanese seafood imports.
On Jan 6, China tightened its exports to Japan of dual-use items that have both civilian and military applications
Sake exports to China amounted to some 11.6 billion yen (S$95 million) in 2024, representing Japan’s largest sake export market by value, according to the Japanese farm ministry.
The sources said that customs procedures after sake items recently arrived in China took longer than usual – spanning several weeks to a month – with the clearance time doubling in some cases.
Speculation was rife that the Chinese authorities may have targeted the liquor because it is “a symbol of Japan”.
The delays have been confirmed at various ports in China, including Tianjin and Shenzhen, the sources said. Exports of some foodstuffs and processed food items have also been delayed.
In some instances, the Chinese customs authorities have asked for detailed transportation routes of the goods in Japan to check whether they had travelled through prefectures such as Fukushima, Miyagi and Tokyo, the sources said.
A Chinese ban remains in place on marine and other food products from 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The ban was imposed after a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
A source familiar with the countries’ bilateral relationship said Beijing has opted for retaliatory steps in its feud with Japan that would not harm its own economy amid a prolonged property sector crisis in China.
Shipments of goods bound for Chinese companies have been processed as usual, but some Japanese businesses have complained that joint projects with state-run Chinese firms have been halted or postponed.
A trade industry source said delays in customs clearance for sake products may only amount to “harassment”, as their impact on the Chinese economy is deemed to be relatively small.
Beijing strengthened its customs inspections in the early 2010s, following bilateral tensions over the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China claims and calls Diaoyu.
At that time, delays over a wide range of items were confirmed, including for electronic parts. KYODO NEWS
