Japan will continue to play an important role in the global imports of fruits
and vegetables, in part because its domestic production is relatively high
cost and vulnerable to international competition. Import penetration is
already significant for provisionally preserved, dried, and frozen vegetables
and for processed and simply preserved fruits. The trade in fresh produce,
particularly fresh vegetables and temperate fruits such as apples, pears,
peaches, persimmons, plums, cherries, and strawberries, offers the principal
opportunity for growth. In those markets, if phytosanitary barriers are
reduced or met, the attributes of freshness, quality and visual perfection,
taste, price, and stability of supply will be important to raising the flow of
imports. Developed countries, particularly the United States, will be important
suppliers of increased Japanese imports because of the range and
quality of their produce, although China is becoming an important
competitor as its quality improves.