Japan, a large importer of Spanish EVOO

  Japan has been a great ally of Spanish olive oil, increasing imports of this product by 211% in the last decade. In the last campaign (19/20), it had a value of imports of 139 million euros and a volume of 46,758 tons. The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had a meeting with the Japanese ambassador in which different topics were addressed, including the dissemination of Japanese gastronomy in Spain and vice versa, for the promotion of both countries. This meeting takes place just after two years of the economic association agreement between the EU and Japan, in which tariffs were reduced on important products such as pork, wine, beef and cheese. Also in that same agreement measures were taken to expedite administrative matters. Likewise, the secretary of Estepa Protected Designation of Origin has indicated that this recognition is very important since it is a very demanding market when it comes to marketing EVOO. The secretary has also stated that they have been working for a long time to ensure that the quality of Spanish EVOO is recognized worldwide and that it is very important for the associated brands since the export figures are growing continuously. Finally, the secretary has recognized that he also continues to work so that other countries such as China enter into a trade agreement which could mean a consolidation of the Asian market.