Japan orders record number of Taiwanese pineapples to counter China's ban

Japan has ordered a record number of 10,000 tons of Taiwanese pineapples after China suspended imports of the fruit on March 1 in an apparent attempt to squeeze its economy.

Shunsuke Shirakawa, chairman of the Japan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry's youth league, said many Japanese are baffled by China's sudden ban of Taiwan's pineapples.

Consequently, many Japanese begun buying or urging others to buy Taiwanese pineapples as a gesture to thank Taiwan for its generosity in the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coast.

He added that the Japanese discover how delicious Taiwan-grown pineapples are.

If Taiwan can secure 20 percent of Japan's pineapple market, it would completely compensate for the lost business from China, said Wu Ching-lu, honorary chairman of the Taiwan Vegetables and Fruits Exporters Association.

Japan imports about 15 percent of the pineapples it consumes from Taiwan, or about 157,000 tons, with the Philippines taking up about 152,000 tons.

According to Wu Ming-ming, chairman of the Agricultural Bank of Taiwan, shipments of Taiwanese pineapples to Japan has been steadily increasing over the years. He added that Japan is among the most dynamic markets for Taiwanese fruits.

Taiwan increased its shipments of pineapples to Japan from 682 tons in 2018, when it was Japan's fifth-largest pineapple exporter, to 2,144 tons with a value of ¥337.89 million last year, when it became the second largest.

Taiwan has an annual production of around 420,000 tons of pineapples.

It exported some 45,000 tons last year with 95 percent going to China.

To offset the loss, Taiwan decided to spend ¥3.87 billion on measures as strengthening the promotion of pineapples at home and abroad.