The Japanese government said today (1 May) that it might have to resort to emergency butter imports as the domestic supply of milk has failed to meet demand.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Japanese milk production has dropped since 2006 due to declining demand and shortages of raw milk now threaten butter production.


“If there is room to raise production domestically, we’d better do so,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura purportedly told reporters at a press conference.


“If there is a shortage, it will probably become necessary to make emergency imports of butter,” he concluded.


If Japan resorted to emergency imports, the government would create a body that would purchase butter from overseas at low tariffs.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Japan’s retailers have experienced butter shortages that have caused supermarkets to limit purchases-per-customer or be left with empty shelves.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact