Tokyo ? The latest food-poisoning case involving frozen gyoza made in China sheds light on the extent to which Japan relies on food products imported from China. As China is Japan’s largest trading partner, people in trade circles are carefully watching how the investigations into the case develop.

According to foreign trade statistics released by the Finance Ministry, Japan-China trade value – imports and exports combined – reached more than 27 trillion yen in 2007, exceeding the value of Japan-U.S. trade – about 25 trillion yen – for the first time on a calendar year basis. In 2006, meanwhile, the amount of agricultural and fishery products imported from China increased by 32 percent from 2001.

By item, the amount of imported bonito and tuna has increased by about 160 percent over the past five years, followed by processed chicken products, up about 80 percent, and corn, with a 50 percent increase.