China drastically cuts seafood imports from Japan in wake of Fukushima water release

The decision by Beijing and Hong Kong to suspend all imports of Japanese marine products in the wake of the Fukushima water release has sparked a diplomatic row Photograph: Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images

Chinese seafood imports from Japan have plummeted following Beijing’s ban on marine products from its neighbour in response to the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Imports fell by 67% in August from the same month a year earlier, to about ¥3bn ($20.2m), the public broadcaster NHK said, citing data from Chinese customs.