(Reuters) - Several countries have banned milk and produce from the areas near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant because of contamination fears.
Food makes up 1 percent of Japanese exports, according to World Bank data. Japan has already stopped shipments of vegetables and milk from near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in the country's northeast.
Graphic: http://link.reuters.com/kar68r
Following are steps countries have taken to test or block Japanese food imports:
* CHINA
China has banned the import of some Japanese food and agricultural products on fears they could be contaminated by radiation from the earthquake-damaged nuclear plant.
The ban covers dairy, aquatic and vegetable products as well as fruit from five Japanese prefectures. China is also stepping up radiation checks on other food products from those and other parts of Japan, China's quality watchdog said.
It said in a statement that the restrictions were needed "to ensure the safety of food and agricultural imports to China."
* VIETNAM
Vietnam's Agriculture Ministry has tightened radiation checks on food imported from Japan and its agencies will pay close attention to seafood and meat imported from Fukushima, a state-run newspaper said.
The official Saigon Giai Phong daily said all farm products from Japan will also be examined by an agency in charge of agricultural product quality.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea banned food imports from four areas of Japan affected by the country's nuclear crisis until radiation concerns are lifted, the prime minister's office said on Friday.
The ban applies to food products from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures and could be expanded if necessary, the government said in a statement.
It said tests of food products from Japan had yet to uncover any instances of radiation contamination, but pledged to publicise the test results and information on radiation levels in Japan via government Web sites to ease public concerns.
TAIWAN
Taiwan will stop imports of foodstuffs from five Japanese prefectures due to the nuclear crisis, the island's health authority said on Friday.
Taiwan's Fisheries Agency had also advised local boats not to fish in Japanese waters after radiation was detected in the sea around the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The agency will check all catches on fishing boats returning from Japanese waters and destroy any catches with radioactivity exceeding permitted limits.
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union will reinforce radiation controls on imports of food and animal feed from. Food and feed from the 12 worst affected prefectures will have to be tested for radionuclides before leaving Japan, and be accompanied by a declaration from the Japanese authorities that they do not breach EU radiation limits, the European Commission said in a statement.
THAILAND
Thailand will test all fruit and vegetable imports from Japan for possible radiation contamination, Pipat Yingsaree, secretary-general of Thailand's Food and Drug Administration, said on Thursday.
Pipat said the authorities had asked importers and distributors to avoid or at least reduce imports of Japanese food products including meat, dairy products, seafood and seaweed.
SINGAPORE
Singapore has suspended the import of milk, meat and produce from areas near the crippled nuclear power plant due to radiation contamination, a government agency said.
The import ban from the four prefectures of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma covers milk, milk products, fruits and vegetables, seafood and meat, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore said.
AUSTRALIA
Australia's government is set to restrict food imports from areas near the nuclear power plant, but said the risk to consumers was negligible due to the limited amounts being brought in.
Australia's regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said on its website that it was a "precautionary measure, and consistent with approaches internationally."
CANADA
Canada intensified safety inspections of food imported from four provinces near the reactors to make sure it has not been contaminated with radiation.
Milk, fruit and vegetables from the area will require documents verifying their safety before it can be allowed into Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said.
GERMANY
Germany has started extra checks on Japanese food imports to ensure they are free from radioactivity, Germany's Agriculture and Consumer Protection Ministry said on Wednesday.
No suspect food has yet been found.
FRANCE
France has started testing for the level of radioactivity of all fresh food products from Japan, such as shellfish and fish, there had been no direct imports from Japan into France since the earthquake, the farm ministry said on Tuesday.
A ban on food imports is not envisioned unless a test proves positive.
BRITAIN
Britain said it is screening food imports from Japan, mainly fish and shellfish, for the presence of radioactive material. No contaminated food has yet been found.
NETHERLANDS
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said it has started extra checking Japanese food imports for radiation. These checks will be implemented at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam port, Europe's biggest.
At this stage, no contaminated food has been found in the Netherlands.
HONG KONG
Bans food and milk products from five prefectures in Japan after samples of turnip and spinach were showed contaminants 2.6 to 10 times over the permissible limit.
MALAYSIA
Testing all consignments from Japan. Health Ministry is monitoring the situation daily but has no plans to ban so far.
PHILIPPINES
Not recommending any ban on food imports from Japan but will continue to conduct random tests for radiation.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States will block imports of milk and fresh produce from areas of Japan near the crippled nuclear power plant.
All milk and milk products and fresh fruits and vegetables from four Japanese prefectures -- Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma -- will be stopped from entering the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Compiled by World desk Asia)