Japan’s fruit import volumes so far this year are in line with 2017 levels, according to Ministry of Finance statistics.
Japan imported 509,762 tonnes worth Y70bn from January to April 2018, compared with 511,991 tonnes worth Y70.6bn for the same four months last year, the figures show.
Bananas, pineapples and oranges remain the top three import categories in volume terms for this period, with a 62 per cent, 9.2 per cent and 5.2 per cent market share respectively. However, avocados overtook grapefruit this year taking fourth place with 23,161 tonnes or a 4.5 per cent market share.
Commenting on the latest import statistics, Jack Moriya of importer Tokyo Seika Trading notes that New Zealand kiwifruit volumes do not figure in these statistics because the import season starts from mid-April.
He adds that, while total January-April banana import volumes remain level with last year, the percentage share coming from Ecuador is down 29 per cent year-on-year and Philippine percentage share is up 9 per cent.
“Due to short supply from principal supply source Philippine in recent years, Japan has procured bananas from Latin American countries especially Ecuador,” Moriya says. “Judging from the trend above, however, we understand the Philippines has recovered their production and regained their import share in Japan. I estimate that Ecuador banana’s import share in 2018 will be around 10 per cent.”
In 2014, the Philippines supplied 92.4 per cent of Japan's banana imports, and Ecuador 5.1 per cent. This shifted to 78.5 per cent Philippines and 16.4 per cent Ecuador by 2016, according to Moriya.
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