Japan Weighs Future of U.S. Sushi Imports
The Japan-American sushi war appears to be over.
Frozen sushi may soon join airplanes, soy beans and ice cream as one of America’s few successful exports to Japan.
The Ministry of Finance and the Department of Agriculture said Friday that they would not keep out frozen sushi that an Osaka-based restaurant chain wants to import from California food processors if the slice of fish that lies on top of the ball of rice in every piece of sushi makes up more than 20% of its total weight.
The final resolution of the fate of a sample of 960 pieces of frozen sushi impounded Thursday will be determined by an inspection by Japan’s National Food Agency, officials said.
Official comments Friday also indicated that future shipments will also undergo careful inspections for adherence to Japanese food regulations.
The flap began when Sushi Boy, a 44-chain operation known for serving sushi on conveyor belts, said it would attempt to reduce its cost by importing ready-made sushi from the United States, where rice is cheaper.
Rice is a sensitive issue in Japan, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party relies heavily on farmers for votes in return for protecting them from cheap foreign rice. Talks on the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, aimed at expanding world trade, are expected to pick up speed next month, which would revive pressure on Japan to open its rice market.
If the sushi sample now in Japan passes muster, it could be a boon for an Escondido frozen pizza factory. The factory has been equipped to make the initial production runs of 50,000 pieces a day of Japan’s favorite delicacy for Sushi Boy.
