An increasing number of elephant ivory products illegally trafficked from Japan have been seized in China, following Beijing's closure of China's domestic market in 2017, recent research by a U.S. conservation group shows.

At least 23 seizures in China were reported in the first half of this year, compared with four in the whole of 2018, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency.

The EIA has pointed out that Japan may have become a new supplier of ivory products to China due to Tokyo's lax regulation measures, and has criticized it for hindering international efforts to eradicate unlawful transactions.