Japan has opened up its market for table grapes from Australia, scrapping its rules restricting grape imports from the country to three varieties after bilateral talks on quarantine standards.
Australian grapes are expected to be marketed mainly in winter and spring in Japan, where grapes are generally seen as an autumn fruit.
According to the Australian Table Grape Association, about 70% of Australian grapes' annual shipment volume of 220,000 tons is exported.
China is the biggest destination with a 41% share, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam. Exports to Japan started in 2014, but due to the restrictions, it ranks sixth with a share of just 5%.
In Australia, some 50 grape varieties with red, black and green skins are grown. Their season, from February to May, does not correspond with the peak grape-buying period in Japan, but industry people believe there should be demand for grapes for purposes such as use in cakes.
The Australian government aims to increase the value of the country's annual grape exports to Japan to about AU$50 million, or 2.5 times the current figure, in several years.
Australia is working to expand its exports of agricultural produce to Japan, which opened up its market for Australian mangoes in November last year.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt has said that Japan is a stable and sophisticated market for his country's farm products and that Canberra hopes to cooperate with Tokyo for further market liberalization in a way that benefits both sides.
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