VZCZCXRO6240
OO RUEHFK RUEHGH RUEHHA RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2187 2210832
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 080832Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6463
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 4817
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 2723
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 9715
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 0808
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 9306
RUEHHA/AMCONSUL HALIFAX PRIORITY 0028
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 6565
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA PRIORITY 7489
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 1681
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 3050
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 9890
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI PRIORITY 0455

UNCLAS TOKYO 002187 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USTR FOR WCUTLER 
PASS TO USDA/FAS CBEAN 
PASS TO DOC FOR NOAA/F/SF HELM AND HANSEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN TESTING OF LOBSTER IMPORTS 
 
REF: TOKYO 2105 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: This message updates developments 
concerning GOJ handling of imports of lobster from the U.S. 
and Canada, in light of FDA warnings about Atlantic red tide 
conditions and risks of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). 
To date, test results on all U.S. shipments have been 
negative, and shipments have been released for sale.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Several shipments of live lobster have arrived in 
Japan since the July 31 notification by the Ministry of 
Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and each has been referred 
for testing for PSP toxins.  To date, no U.S. shipments have 
tested positive and all were allowed to enter the country for 
sale.  Three Canadian shipments have tested above the 4 MU/g 
(mouse units per gram) threshold, although some other 
Canadian shipments tested negative.  Importers of those 
shipments were given options reported reftel, but shipments 
were not permitted to enter intact. 
¶3. (SBU) An MHLW official has advised it is possible to 
import lobster tails and claws after removing contaminated 
parts in a bonded facility on the condition that 1) the 
bonded facility to perform this processing must be licensed 
for seafood sales business under the Food Sanitation Law, 2) 
the importer consult with the quarantine station prior to the 
processing, and 3) the importer submit a processing plan to 
the quarantine station and receive permission to perform such 
processing. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Given the positive test results on some Canadian 
shipments, lobsters from Canada have been elevated by MHLW 
into a "mandatory test" category, while U.S. shipments are 
still "voluntary test".  The main difference in these 
categories appears to be mandatory seems to involve GOJ 
testing, while voluntary testing is generally being done by 
third-party labs.  Shipments have also typically been held in 
bonded facilities until test results are returned.  However, 
at least one shipment was released to an importer's warehouse 
with the instruction not to release it until negative test 
results were received.  Testing costs are reportedly about 
$150 per shipment. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Importers have asked about the possibility voluntary 
testing might be done at labs in the U.S. prior to shipment, 
but it is unclear precisely what MHLW will require in order 
to accept certification of such a test result.  The MHLW has 
provisionally said it would need to examine the sampling 
procedure, test method, and testing laboratory, and it might 
ask for some form of government authentication.  Embassy 
expects the first shipment, accompanied by a certificate from 
a U.S. lab, to arrive in Japan very shortly and should soon 
have some report on its acceptance. 
 
¶6. (SBU) This is some discussion of the FDA advisory in 
Japanese on the Internet as well as in industry media, which 
may eventually be picked up by mainstream media and the 
public.  Japanese importers are reportedly notifying their 
dealers and customers of the advisory on a precautionary 
basis.  The concern is that advisories may not be enough, 
given that Japanese consumers typically do eat the affected 
portions of the lobster (tomalley), while U.S. consumers 
generally do not.  There are reports that some importers may 
refrain from importing until environmental conditions and the 
PSP risk have improved. 
SCHIEFFER