Belgian Economy minister pushes for pear exports to Japan

David Clarinval, Belgium’s minister for the Economy, Employment and Agriculture, has urged Japan to lift its long-standing ban on Belgian pear imports. Exports have been blocked for 13 years due to Japanese concerns that invasive insect species could enter the country with the fruit.

On Tuesday in Tokyo, Clarinval raised the issue with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, urging them to restart and accelerate negotiations between Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) and Japan’s food safety authorities. “I am confident we can move forward,” he said. Belgium currently exports 230 million euros worth of agricultural products to Japan each year.

Japan is Belgium’s third-largest trading partner

The minister also attended Belgian National Day at the World Expo in Osaka on Sunday, where he highlighted the country’s economic strengths. “Japan is Belgium’s third-largest trading partner in Asia and its second-biggest investor outside Europe,” he told the Japanese media. Belgium’s pavilion at the Expo, located in the ‘saving lives’ zone, showcases its pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.

During the visit, Clarinval also hinted at broader cooperation. “Our opportunities for collaboration with Japan go beyond the biopharmaceutical sector. Whether in agriculture, energy, digital technologies or the defence industry,” he said.

While in Tokyo, he is joined by Foreign minister Maxime Prévot and Digitalisation and Public Buildings minister Vanessa Matz for a series of bilateral meetings. These include talks with State minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is the outgoing prime minister Shigeru Ishiba’s secretary-general.