Shippers will be expected to adhere to the standard Japanese food laws and import regulations. Although a trading company or exporter handles most of these details, it is important for a shipper to be aware of the procedures, since actions taken on the fruit in the U.S. can have an impact on the results of the import clearance procedures. Three agencies are involved in the import clearance of fresh produce. MHW, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Who check for excessive pesticide residues, and Customs. Plant Quarantine Inspection Inspection takes place at the port of entry.
Japanese inspections are unusually strict.
Any products carrying live insects, whether or not those insects were established in Japan, will be fumigated or possibly rejected. The MHW takes random samples from shipments to test for pesticide residues. Approximately one in ten shipments are tested. It is not unlikely that U.S. tomatoes will be subjected to intense scrutiny during the first few years of imports. A complete listing of tomato tolerances is not yet available, but will be shortly since the market is now officially open.