Japan’s Jan.-June farm exports hit record amid waning COVID impact

Japan’s food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports in the first six months of 2023 rose 9.6 percent from a year earlier to a record 714.4 billion yen ($5.0 billion), as demand in the restaurant and retail industries recovered amid the continued waning impact of COVID-19, government data showed Friday.

The rise in the January to June period was boosted by robust shipments to China, up 16.2 percent to 139.4 billion yen, and Hong Kong, up 25.8 percent to 115.4 billion yen, as well as by a weaker yen, according to the data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

But...