Pork imports from Vietnam are currently banned in Japan because Vietnam is listed among source nations afflicted by outbreaks of foot and mouth disease.

Vietnamese authorities, however, have been negotiating with their Japanese counterparts for years already and Japanese authorities have now stated they are willing to consider lifting the ban on processed Vietnamese pork.

The Trade Office also reported that Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is now drafting specific regulations for the import of Vietnamese pork products.

The processing and heat-treatment phases of production will be a particular focus of the regulations.

The MAFF and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare jointly plan to send a mission to Vietnam to assess Vietnamese foodstuff processors before the two countries sign any bilateral agreements on the issue, the Trade Office added.