Japan's H1 food exports reach record high, fuelled by green tea, yellowtail

Japan’s exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products rose 10.9% in the first half of 2026 to a record 897.7 billion yen ($5.7 billion), the agriculture ministry said. Shipments were up from 809.7 billion yen a year earlier and marked a record for the half for a second straight year. Demand for beef, apples, rice, green tea, mixed sauce and yellowtail drove the growth. Exports to the United States, Japan’s largest market, increased 15.3% to 162.6 billion yen, while shipments to all top 10 destinations rose. Green tea exports jumped 83.5% on a matcha boom, and yellowtail rose 69.0% to record highs.