Japan said on Friday that allowing unrestricted imports of fresh US potatoes
would risk introduction of 21 pests and pathogens. The Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries has drafted a list covering 14 insect pests and several
fungi and microbes, including the hard-to-eradicate potato cyst nematode first
detected in Hokkaido in 2015. Tokyo currently bans fresh potato imports except
for potatoes for chip processing; the US has sought full removal of the ban
since 2020. The central government will brief producers and local officials from
September and publish a formal list that month; based on that list Japanese
officials will start negotiating quarantine measures with US authorities. MAFF
said measures will vary by crop and origin and typically take years to design.
