Japan increases banana imports from Vietnamese market

According to statistics compiled by Japan Customs, reviewed period saw Japanese imports of bananas (HS code 0803) reach 939.8 thousand tonnes, worth JPY93.6 billion, equivalent to US$ 822.8 million, representing an increase of 4.7% in volume and 3.5% in value over the same period from last year.

Furthermore, the average price of imported bananas hovered around JPY99,600 per tonne, an annual decline of 1.2%.

In Japan, bananas are a popular item and are commonly sold in supermarkets, as well as both convenience and grocery stores.

The amount of bananas consumed per household during the course of a single month stands at between nine and 15 bananas. However, the Far East nation primarily imports bananas from other countries due to its low output.

In the supply structure of bananas to the Japanese market, the Philippines makes up the largest supplier, accounting for 75.8% of the total amount of imported Japanese bananas throughout the reviewed period.

It is then followed by Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Vietnam, which is the fifth largest supplier of bananas to this market despite the average import price enduring a sharp decline.

The average import price of bananas from the country remained high during the 10- month period, hovering around at JPY107,600 per tonne, down 19.8% over last year’s corresponding period.