Japan's Frozen Vegetable Imports Hit a Record High Due to Rising Domestic Vegetable Prices

According to the Japan Agricultural News website, in 2017, the import volume of frozen vegetables in Japan exceeded 1 million tons for the first time. Due to the rising prices of domestic vegetables in Japan, retailers are promoting frozen vegetables at favorable prices, and the demand is increasing.

In addition, frozen vegetables are easy to cook and can be eaten after blanching or frying. This will become a major threat to Japan's vegetable-producing areas.

According to trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance, the import volume of frozen vegetables has continued to increase since the 1990s, reaching an all-time high in 2017. Among them, Chinese products and American products occupy the majority, mainly mixed vegetables and boiled vegetables used in restaurants.

In 2017, Japan imported 1.009 million tons of frozen vegetables, an increase of 7% over the previous year, and the most significant increase was stem vegetables. An analysis by the Japan Frozen Food Association said: "Not only a commercial use but also household consumption of frozen vegetables is increasing due to rising domestic vegetable prices."

Japan's Frozen Vegetable Imports Hit a Record High Due to Rising Domestic Vegetable Prices PDF