TOKYO听–听Japan‘s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he would compile measures to听丑别濒辫听the听蹿颈蝉丑颈苍驳听颈苍诲耻蝉迟谤测听hit by听颁丑颈苍补‘s听产补苍听on听闯补辫补苍ese听蝉别补蹿辞辞诲,听补蹿迟别谤听visiting Tokyo’s biggest fish market.
The government will tap additional funds of about several tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) from the government’s budget reserves for the current fiscal year to fund the measures, the Nikkei reported on Thursday.
“I will put together measures given the variety of opinions I heard from the听蹿颈蝉丑颈苍驳听颈苍诲耻蝉迟谤测听today,” Mr. Kishida said to reporters following a visit to Toyosu fish market on Thursday, adding that requests included support to听丑别濒辫听蹿颈蝉丑颈苍驳听companies develop new sales avenues and holding discussions with听颁丑颈苍补.
闯补辫补苍听聽releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked听贵耻办耻蝉丑颈尘补听nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, prompting听颁丑颈苍补,听闯补辫补苍‘s biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket听产补苍听on听闯补辫补苍ese aquatic products.
Tokyo’s government has聽聽two funds worth 80 billion yen ($548 million) to听丑别濒辫听develop new sales channels and keep excess fish frozen until they can be sold when demand recovers, among other measures. Officials have previously聽聽the possibility of additional fiscal measures for the听颈苍诲耻蝉迟谤测.
More than 700听闯补辫补苍ese companies聽聽about $600 million worth of aquatic products to听颁丑颈苍补聽in 2022, making it the biggest market for听闯补辫补苍ese exports, followed by Hong Kong, which announced its own听产补苍听on听蝉别补蹿辞辞诲聽imports from 10听闯补辫补苍ese regions听补蹿迟别谤听the听贵耻办耻蝉丑颈尘补听release.
Fisheries Minister Tetsuro Nomura said last Friday the government would take steps to diversify听闯补辫补苍‘s fish exports for听颁丑颈苍补-dependent products such as scallops.听颁丑颈苍补聽took more than half of听闯补辫补苍ese scallop exports in 2022.
Some听闯补辫补苍ese officials have also signaled diplomatic actions to urge听颁丑颈苍补聽to lift the听产补苍, which Tokyo says is not based on scientific evidence, including filing a World Trade Organization (WTO)聽. – Reuters
