Japan imported a record ¥155.2 billion ($1.2 billion) worth of marine products from Russia in 2022, data from the Finance Ministry showed Friday, highlighting the country's continued reliance on Moscow for its seafood supply despite a deterioration of relations over the war in Ukraine.
While Japan did impose economic sanctions, including banning imports of vodka and lumber, on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine last year, marine products were exempted as Tokyo deemed the adverse effect on domestic businesses would be too great.
Japan's poor catches and Russia's larger volume in waters around disputed islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, were factors in last year's imports hitting the highest since 1992, a year after the collapse of the Soviet Union.