The primary breed of cattle found on Japanese farms is the native wagyu. Hybrids are second, and the Holstein-Friesian breed is third.
Japan relies heavily on foreign beef imports, as its domestic production falls short of meeting local demand. In 2025, beef production in Japan was around 500,000 tons, while the total consumption soared to approximately 1,170,000 tons. This gap necessitated imports of nearly 670,000 tons of beef and beef products.[1]
EXPORT FROM EUROPE
Japan permits the export of beef and beef offal from cattle under 30 months of age originating from most EU countries. Although the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan entered into force in February 2019, exports of such products occur under conditions agreed upon between European and Japanese veterinary authorities.
All entities that export beef to Japan must adhere to the Export Verification Programme (EVP) guidelines.
Tariffs
In accordance with the provisions stated in the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the applicable customs duties are as follows:
Table 1. Customs duties for EU countries
* Within 15 years of entry into force, i.e. in 2034.
| Customs code | 0202 |
| General customs duty | 38,5% |
| Present customs duty | 20,8 % [2] |
| Target customs duty* | 9% |
Export volume
The primary exports from EU countries to Japan comprise frozen beef (CN 0202) and offal. Given the significant distance involved, fresh beef (CN 0201) is not typically shipped from Europe to Japan. The following data outlines the scale of EU exports from 2020 to 2025 (in kilograms)[3].
Table 2. Exports of beef from EU countries (CN 0202)1
Poland stands out, holding about 25% of the market share, and is considered one of the top exporters of frozen beef to Japan, alongside Ireland.
| Country | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 89,856 | 194,968 | 143,501 | 0,100 | 0,326 | – |
| Croatia | – | 18,930 | – | – | – | |
| Denmark | 48,420 | 9,314 | 0,751 | 0,144 | – | |
| France | 13,200 | 46,318 | 93,999 | 11,681 | 56,566 | 3,82 |
| Ireland | 3,230,999 | 2,573,710 | 2,225,030 | 1,061,575 | 1,661,222 | 462,169 |
| Italy | 31,306 | 146,898 | 99,952 | 13,784 | 80,191 | 90,427 |
| Lithuania | – | – | 22,278 | – | – | |
| Netherlands | 34,489 | 82,369 | 96,081 | 76,079 | 46,000 | – |
| Poland | 3,362,523 | 9,243,990 | 7,205,129 | 3,019,336 | 2,684,336 | 225,696 |
| Portugal | – | – | 0,160 | 0,011 | – | |
| Spain | 22,254 | 584,004 | 924,256 | 352,211 | 568,822 | 125,051 |
| Total | 6,833,047 | 12,900,501 | 10,811,137 | 4,534,921 | 5,097,526 | 909,501 |
We encourage you to download the information brochure detailing the qualities of European beef.
- https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=Livestock%20and%20Products%20Annual_Tokyo_Japan_JA2025-0045
- https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/pl/results?product=020210&origin=PL&destination=JP
- https://agridata.ec.europa.eu/extensions/DashboardBeef/BeefTrade.html
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