Buyer intelligence · Japan · fresh fruit and vegetables
Japan fresh produce imports from Ecuador, Peru, India, Kenya and Colombia: what is traded, what is admissible, who buys
Trade data retrieved 26 Oct 2026 · sources reviewed 26 Oct 2026
Short answer
- Japan reported large, recurring imports of Ecuadorian bananas and Peruvian avocados and table grapes in 2024 and 2025, plus smaller Peruvian mandarin, mango, pea and asparagus flows (UN Comtrade).
- Japan reported no Peruvian blueberry imports in 2024 or 2025, no fresh fruit or vegetables from Colombia in 2025, and almost no fresh produce from Kenya; Kenya and Colombia mainly ship cut flowers (and Kenya nuts) to Japan.
- A recorded trade flow is not an import permit. Japan's Plant Protection Station decides which fruit from which country may enter and under what treatment; the status column below cites the official source, or says “verify”.
- SeedMatch is a buyer-side sourcing intermediary, free for buyers: we help Japanese buyers specify, find and compare suppliers for programmes from USD 250,000. We do not import, export, certify or hold stock, and suppliers do not contact you directly.
How to read this page: Confirmed trade flow = Japan reported imports from that origin in UN Comtrade. Hypothesis = a possible opportunity we have not confirmed with trade data or an official access rule. Nothing here is a supplier offer, a price or a legal opinion.
Product–origin map: Japan's reported imports
Japan as reporter, imports by partner, net weight and customs value. Shares compare the origin with Japan's total reported imports of the same HS code in 2025. Source: UN Comtrade Database — Japan (reporter 392), imports by partner, annual, HS six-digit, retrieved 26 Oct 2026; figures may be revised.
Ecuador
Confirmed: bananas are a large recurring flow (about 9% of Japan's reported banana imports by weight in 2025), and Ecuador's plant-health agency describes bananas as already present in Japan (Agrocalidad, 14 Sep 2026). A frozen-vegetable flow (HS 071080) is also large. Fresh mango and yellow pitaya from Ecuador are still under negotiation in MAFF's list.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas, fresh or dried (excl. plantains) (080390) | 105,680 | 81.5 | 94,057 | 71.4 | 8.9% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Immature bananas only: Musa fresh fruit is prohibited except immature banana. Phytosanitary certificate and import inspection apply.List of the import prohibited plants (Annexed Table 2, Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 17 Sep 2025 |
| Other frozen vegetables (071080)Frozen, not fresh; the HS code does not name the vegetable. | 32,868 | 75.9 | 40,433 | 93.6 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown hereFrozen plants do not need a phytosanitary certificate but are still inspected.You can bring more items without phytosanitary certificate than before! (frozen plants: certificate not required, inspection still required) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 1 Apr 2023 |
Hypotheses to verify (not confirmed)
- Specialised banana programmes (for example certified or specific grades) for Japanese retailers — an opportunity to test with buyers, not a confirmed demand figure.
- Ecuadorian mango or yellow pitaya: not admissible until MAFF completes the lifting process; do not plan shipments on them.
Peru
Confirmed: Hass avocados (about 35% of Japan's reported avocado imports by weight in 2025), table grapes (about 16%), satsuma mandarins, Kent mangoes, bananas, peas and asparagus, plus frozen fruit. Each fruit enters under its own MAFF standard. SENASA certified the first table-grape shipment to Japan on 16 Sep 2023 and publishes a Japan avocado protocol. Fresh blueberries are not admissible: the request was still at the pest-identification stage in June 2025, and Japan reported no Peruvian blueberry imports in 2024 or 2025.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avocados, fresh or dried (080440) | 10,841 | 31.4 | 19,177 | 47.6 | 35% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Hass only, not mature fruit; designated production regions and packing facilities; certificate with additional declarations, seals and markings.Standards for fresh Hass avocados shipped from Peru (MAFF Notice No. 1517) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 15 Jun 2015 |
| Grapes, fresh (080610) | 3,143 | 12.0 | 5,376 | 20.6 | 16.3% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Vitis vinifera only; sea cargo; cold treatment in approved containers (fruit core ≤1 °C 16 days, ≤2 °C 18 days or ≤3 °C 20 days), started before export.Standards for fresh grapes (Vitis vinifera) shipped from Peru (Notice No. 438, amended 25 Nov 2025) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 25 Nov 2025 |
| Mandarins (incl. tangerines and satsumas), fresh or dried (080521) | 2,000 | 3.7 | 3,985 | 7.1 | — | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Applies to unshu (satsuma) mandarins only; sea cargo with cold treatment (≤2.1 °C 18 days or ≤3 °C 23 days). The HS code also covers other mandarins, which are not covered by this standard.Standards for fresh unshu (satsuma) mandarins shipped from Peru (Notice No. 2131, amended 25 Nov 2025) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 25 Nov 2025 |
| Bananas, fresh or dried (excl. plantains) (080390) | 6,507 | 7.8 | 4,894 | 6.2 | 0.5% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Immature bananas only, as for all listed origins.List of the import prohibited plants (Annexed Table 2, Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 17 Sep 2025 |
| Guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, fresh or dried (080450) | 208 | 1.5 | 644 | 2.7 | 10.3% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Kent only; hot-water immersion at 47 °C until the fruit core reaches 46 °C; certificate, pest-proof packing, seals and markings.Standards for fresh Kent mangoes shipped from Peru (Notice No. 243, amended to 26 Jul 2023) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 26 Jul 2023 |
| Peas, fresh or chilled (070810) | 130 | 1.0 | 219 | 1.7 | — | Not confirmed — verify with the Plant Protection StationNo pair-specific official condition was retrieved; check the PPS import-condition search.Import condition search (輸出入条件詳細情報) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026 |
| Asparagus, fresh or chilled (070920) | 176 | 1.3 | 123 | 1.0 | — | Not confirmed — verify with the Plant Protection StationNo pair-specific official condition was retrieved; check the PPS import-condition search.Import condition search (輸出入条件詳細情報) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026 |
| Cranberries, bilberries and other Vaccinium fruits (blueberries), fresh (081040)Japan reported no imports from Peru in 2024 or 2025. In 2025 Japan's reported blueberry imports came mainly from Mexico, the USA, Chile and Canada. | — | — | — | — | — | Prohibited — lifting request still in negotiationVaccinium fresh fruit from Peru is in the prohibited table; MAFF lists the blueberry request at the pest-identification stage (June 2025).Import-ban lifting requests from Peru (blueberry: quarantine pests identified, June 2025) — Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026 |
| Other frozen fruit (081190)Frozen, not fresh; the HS code does not name the fruit. | 3,749 | 13.8 | 7,185 | 23.4 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown hereFrozen plants do not need a phytosanitary certificate but are still inspected.You can bring more items without phytosanitary certificate than before! (frozen plants: certificate not required, inspection still required) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 1 Apr 2023 |
Hypotheses to verify (not confirmed)
- Counter-season grape and avocado programmes timed against Japan's other suppliers (Mexico, Chile, Australia, USA) — check windows against each buyer's calendar.
- Peruvian blueberries for Japan: only once MAFF lifts the prohibition.
India
Confirmed: a small fresh mango flow (61 t in 2025) under a 2006 MAFF standard limited to six varieties with vapor heat treatment. India's largest agricultural flow to Japan in this data is cashew/other nuts (HS 0801), outside fresh produce. Frozen shrimp is covered in the seafood note below.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, fresh or dried (080450) | 68 | 0.4 | 61 | 0.4 | 1% | Admissible with conditions (official standard)Alphonso, Kesar, Chausa, Banganapalli, Mallika and Langra only; designated areas; vapor heat treatment (fruit core ≥47.5 °C for 20 minutes).Standards for fresh Alphonso, Kesar, Chausa, Banganapalli, Mallika and Langra mangoes shipped from India (Notice No. 888) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 23 Jun 2006 |
| Coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts (0801)Nuts, outside the fresh fruit and vegetable scope. | 5,166 | 36.0 | 4,951 | 41.3 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
Hypotheses to verify (not confirmed)
- Premium-variety mango programmes (Alphonso, Kesar and others on the MAFF list) for gift and specialty retail — volume and buyer interest unverified.
Kenya
Japan reported almost no fresh fruit or vegetables from Kenya (6 t of pineapples in 2025). Kenya's recorded flows to Japan are cut flowers and nuts. Fresh avocado and passion fruit are prohibited: MAFF shows only that Kenya's requests were received in September 2019.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other nuts (includes macadamia) (0802)Nuts; the four-digit code does not name the nut. | 352 | 2.7 | 236 | 2.8 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
| Pineapples, fresh or dried (080430)Very small reported volume. | 1 | 0.0 | 6 | 0.0 | — | Not confirmed — verify with the Plant Protection StationNo pair-specific official condition was retrieved.Import condition search (輸出入条件詳細情報) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026 |
| Cut flowers and flower buds (0603)Horticulture, but not fresh fruit or vegetables. | 908 | 10.5 | 972 | 11.4 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
Hypotheses to verify (not confirmed)
- Kenyan avocados for Japan: not admissible today; watch MAFF's Kenya request page for progress.
- Kenyan horticulture with Japan demand today sits mainly in cut flowers and macadamia, outside the fresh-produce RFQ.
Colombia
Official access exists for Hass avocados (MAFF standard of 31 Jul 2019), Tommy Atkins mangoes (vapor heat) and yellow pitaya (effective 1 Aug 2023), and immature bananas are not prohibited. Yet Japan reported no fresh fruit or vegetable imports from Colombia in 2025 (in 2023, 1.8 t under HS 081090, the code that includes pitaya). Recorded flows are cut flowers and frozen fruit.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut flowers and flower buds (0603)Horticulture, but not fresh fruit or vegetables. | 7,077 | 72.8 | 7,127 | 74.0 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
| Other frozen fruit (081190)Frozen, not fresh. Japan reported no fresh fruit (HS 0803–0810) or fresh vegetable imports from Colombia in 2025. | 837 | 4.0 | 983 | 4.8 | — | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown hereFrozen plants do not need a phytosanitary certificate but are still inspected.You can bring more items without phytosanitary certificate than before! (frozen plants: certificate not required, inspection still required) — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), 1 Apr 2023 |
Hypotheses to verify (not confirmed)
- Colombian Hass avocados, Tommy Atkins mangoes and yellow pitaya: access is confirmed but trade is not — a supply-development opportunity to test with Japanese importers, not proven demand.
Japanese buyer types and what they usually need
Typical requirements as described in the cited sources. Individual buyers set their own specifications.
Wholesale market companies (卸売業者) and intermediate wholesalers (仲卸)
MAFF estimates 53.9% of fruit and vegetables circulating in Japan (domestic and imported, including processed products) passed through wholesale markets in FY2021. Since the amended Wholesale Market Act took effect on 21 Jun 2020, each market may set its own rules on third-party sales and direct procurement.
- Consistent grades and arrival timing that fit auction or negotiated sales
- Clear origin, variety and size information per lot
- Importers or wholesalers who handle Japanese import procedures
卸売市場をめぐる情勢 (Circumstances surrounding wholesale markets) — Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan), 14 Mar 2025
Specialist fresh-produce importers and trading-house produce businesses
Importers carry the Food Sanitation Act notification and plant-quarantine inspection. Some general trading houses run produce businesses — for example, one acquired a multinational fruit company's Asian fresh produce business in April 2013.
- Detailed information on production processes and quality control
- Documents for each shipment: phytosanitary certificate, treatment records and residue compliance
- Exporters already registered under the relevant MAFF standard (designated sites, packhouses, treatment facilities)
Japan: Exporter Guide Annual (JA2024-0021) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 10 May 2024
Supermarkets and retail buyers
USDA FAS notes that relationships with Japanese importers and manufacturers remain critical to reaching retail, and that consumers seek easy-to-prepare, frozen and ready-to-eat foods.
- Food safety, quality and traceability information
- Small, consumer-sized packaging and applicable Japanese labelling
- Year-round or season-bridging programmes, usually through an importer or distributor
Japan: Retail Foods Annual (JA2025-0048) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 19 Nov 2025
Foodservice and processors
USDA FAS reported Japan's food-service sales at about USD 226.2 billion in 2023, with processed vegetables and fruit among growth products. Frozen fruit and vegetable flows from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia appear in the trade data above.
- Ingredient and quality-control documentation
- Stable volumes and formats (cut, frozen, pack size) agreed per buyer — to confirm with each buyer, not a published standard
Japan: Food Service – Hotel Restaurant Institutional Annual (JA2024-0070) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 17 Dec 2024
Two gates every shipment passes
1. Plant quarantine (MAFF Plant Protection Station)
Fresh fruit and vegetables need a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's government and an import inspection. Many fresh fruits from these origins are prohibited unless a MAFF standard lifts the ban for a specific variety, origin, site and treatment. Frozen plants need no certificate but are still inspected.
Regulations when bringing plants into Japan from another country — MAFF Plant Protection Station (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026
2. Food safety (MHLW quarantine stations)
Under Article 27 of the Food Sanitation Act the importer must file an import notification; food may not be sold without it. Pesticide residues fall under the positive list system introduced on 29 May 2006, with a uniform 0.01 ppm limit where no specific limit is set — check the current limit for each product and substance.
Import procedure under the Food Sanitation Act — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026
General information, not legal advice. Each importer, exporter and supplier remains responsible for the rules that apply to its own role; confirm the current requirement with the authority before contracting.
Export readiness at origin: irrigation, packhouses and cold chain
Japanese programmes reward consistency. On the supply side that usually depends on the farm and packhouse, which is SeedMatch's core project scope.
- Packing-house project planning
MAFF standards for Peruvian and Colombian avocados name designated packing facilities; sorting, grading and sealed, marked cartons start here.
- How to plan a packing house
Capacity, cold rooms and flow for export-grade lots.
- Irrigation center
Uniform size and maturity depend on water management in orchards and vegetable fields.
- Export-grade production requirements
Grower-side checklists for markets with strict residue and documentation rules.
Seafood note: frozen shrimp from India and Ecuador
Japan reported large frozen warm-water shrimp imports from India (about 29% of the HS 030617 total by weight in 2025) and Ecuador (about 14%). Japan's Fisheries Agency names India among the main shrimp suppliers, and MHLW's inspection-order list includes cultured shrimp from India for furazolidone. Live aquatic animals fall under separate MAFF animal-quarantine rules.
| Product (HS) | 2024 tonnes | 2024 USD m | 2025 tonnes | 2025 USD m | Share of Japan 2025 imports | Japan plant-quarantine status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen shrimps and prawns (other than cold-water) (030617) | 38,771 | 284.9 | 41,061 | 317.7 | 28.7% | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
| Frozen shrimps and prawns (other than cold-water) (030617) | 14,931 | 102.3 | 19,384 | 142.6 | 13.6% | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
| Frozen shrimps and prawns (other than cold-water) (030617) | 1,046 | 7.2 | 627 | 4.7 | 0.4% | Outside the fresh-fruit quarantine scope shown here |
SeedMatch does not source seafood. Seafood buyers can use the group's buyer-first channels: Global B2B Group · FishMatch Group
- Fisheries White Paper FY2024: trends in fisheries trade (shrimp mainly from India, Vietnam, Indonesia) — Fisheries Agency of Japan, 2025
- Inspection orders under Article 26(3), Food Sanitation Act — Appendix 1 (lists cultured shrimp from India: furazolidone) — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026
- Entry into Japan — aquatic animals — MAFF Animal Quarantine Service, undated page, accessed 26 Oct 2026
Sourcing for a Japanese programme
Send one confidential request with each product, grade, origin preference, packaging, volume, delivery window and the documents your Japanese customers require. A sourcing specialist reviews it before any supplier is approached; supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group, SeedMatch's parent group. Free for buyers; programmes from USD 250,000. No guarantee of price, supply or import approval.
Questions buyers ask
Which fresh fruits from Peru can enter Japan?
MAFF standards exist for Peruvian Hass avocados (not mature fruit), Kent mangoes (hot-water treatment), Vitis vinifera table grapes (cold treatment, sea cargo) and unshu (satsuma) mandarins (cold treatment). Fresh blueberries from Peru remain prohibited; MAFF listed the request at the pest-identification stage in June 2025.
Can Ecuadorian or Colombian bananas be imported into Japan?
Yes, as immature bananas. Japan's prohibited-plants table bans Musa fresh fruit from these origins except immature banana; a phytosanitary certificate and import inspection apply.
Are Kenyan avocados admissible in Japan?
Not as of the sources reviewed on 26 Oct 2026. Kenya is listed in the avocado prohibition, and MAFF shows only that Kenya's avocado and passion fruit requests were received in September 2019.
Does a recorded trade flow mean a route is open?
No. Trade data shows that imports happened in a given year. Admissibility depends on the current MAFF standard for that variety, origin, site and treatment, and on food-safety compliance for each shipment. Confirm with the Plant Protection Station before contracting.
Is SeedMatch an importer or exporter?
No. SeedMatch Group is a buyer-side sourcing intermediary. It does not import, export, certify or hold stock. Buyers do not pay to submit a request; managed sourcing is for programmes from USD 250,000, and supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group.
Does SeedMatch handle shrimp or other seafood?
No. The page shows Japan's shrimp imports for context only. Seafood buyers can use Global B2B Group or FishMatch Group.