China complains over Japan vegetable concerns
Date: 19-Aug-02
Country: CHINA
The China Daily said Japan had stepped up inspections of vegetable imports from China, slowing their time to market and raising costs.
Stepped-up sampling of Chinese vegetable imports had sent inspection costs soaring to more than $6,800 per batch from a previous $430, the newspaper said.
"Japan's stricter quarantine and inspection measures aim to stop vegetable imports from China and shield backward local industries under the guise of protecting consumers' interests," it quoted Cao Xumin, chairman of a Chinese foodstuffs trade body, as saying.
Recent Japanese media reports saying Chinese vegetables had high pesticide levels were "one-sided" and "exaggerated", the newspaper quoted Chinese trade officials as saying.
It said Japan imported nearly $1.2 billion of fresh, frozen and pickled Chinese vegetables last year.
In the first half of this year, China exported vegetables, roots and tubers worth $391 million to Japan, official customs data show.
China's total first-half exports to Japan were $21.6 billion. Japan sold more than $23 billion of goods to China in the period.
Last year, Japan imposed "safeguard" curbs on Chinese leeks, shiitake mushrooms and straw for tatami mats to protect its farmers from a surge in imports.
That sparked a bitter trade war as China slapped 100 percent punitive tariffs on Japanese cars, mobile telephones and air conditioners.
That dispute was resolved late last year.