Support The Moscow Times!

Official Concerned With Radiation-Contaminated Japanese Cars

VLADIVOSTOK — Japanese cars contaminated with radiation in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster are still a concern regarding the importation of such vehicles to Russia, a customs official said Thursday.

According to Russian customs, more than 930 radiation-contaminated vehicles from Japan have been detected at Far Eastern ports since a magnitude-9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami ravaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant in central Japan.

However, the number of contaminated vehicles is declining by the month, a customs official in Vladivostok said, adding that only used vehicles and spare parts were the concern.

While in 2011, in the wake of the accident, an average of 90 contaminated vehicles were detected every three months, by last year that figure was down to 75, and in the first and second quarters of this year it was 59 and 43, respectively, he said.

A representative of the Federal Consumer Protection Service said that it was easier to send such cars back to Japan than to spend money on their decontamination.

Used cars from Japan are popular in Russia, especially in the Far East and Siberia. Almost 150,000 used Japanese vehicles were imported into Russia last year, according to the International Auto Trade Association.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more