The European Union, Norway and Iceland on Thursday lifted import restrictions they imposed on food products from parts of Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster.
As a result of the changes, the number of countries and regions maintaining import controls due to radioactivity safety concerns is down to nine, with Switzerland expected to follow suit on Aug. 15. As many as 55 economies had restrictions in place at one stage.
The removal of requirements for Japan to test for radionuclides and provide safety certifications for some seafood and agricultural products is welcome news for producers in Fukushima, as well as those in the nine other affected prefectures: Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Gunma, Niigata, Yamanashi, Nagano, Iwate and Shizuoka.