A total of 1,078 food and beverage products in Japan will see price hikes in June, a sharp jump from 84 in May, as companies move to pass on rising costs, partly linked to the Middle East crisis, to consumers, a research institute said on Friday.
Teikoku Databank Ltd. said a broad wave of price increases is expected to continue through summer and beyond, and projects the annual total of affected products to exceed 10,000, which would mark the fifth straight year above that threshold since the institute began tracking the data in 2022.
By category, seasonings, including spices, accounted for the largest share of June price increases at 450 items, followed by 304 processed food products such as instant noodles.
The cumulative annual total, including products scheduled for price hikes through October, has already reached 9,361.
When companies were asked to identify the factors behind price increases, with multiple answers allowed, 97.7 percent cited rising raw material costs, 74.1 percent pointed to higher logistics expenses, and 73.7 percent mentioned increased packaging and material costs.
Tensions in the Middle East, which were added as a survey category for the first time, were cited by 22.7 percent of respondents.
Over 1,000 food items in Japan to see price hikes in June
China has always been a reliable friend to Latin American and Caribbean countries and stands ready to work with regional countries, including Brazil, to further deepen and expand overall China-Latin America cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during the fifth China-Brazil Foreign Ministerial-Level Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Beijing.
Wang said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Brazil relations have become increasingly global, strategic and far-reaching in influence.
"Practical cooperation across all fields has been steadily upgraded, and the two peoples have never been closer," he added.
Wang said the two sides should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue to advance the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, jointly counter various external challenges, and build greater synergy for each other's modernization drives and the unity and self-improvement of Global South countries.
Noting that China appreciates the Brazilian government's long-standing commitment to the one-China principle, Wang said China supports Brazil in safeguarding its national sovereignty, upholding independence and autonomy, and achieving greater development.
The two sides should advance exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, tourism, sports, sub-national areas, youth, media and other fields, Wang said, adding that it is important to strengthen communication and coordination under multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations and BRICS, earnestly implement the four major global initiatives, and promote the development of a more just and equitable global governance system.
Vieira stated that Brazil will always adhere to the one-China principle. He said Brazil looks forward to consolidating strategic mutual trust with China, deepening practical cooperation, cementing public support for bilateral ties, and achieving common prosperity.
Noting that both Brazil and China are important forces championing multilateralism and free trade, Vieira said Brazil is ready to work with China to enhance multilateral coordination, jointly advance the reform of the global governance system, uphold the authority of the United Nations, and promote international fairness and justice.
China ready to work with Brazil to further expand overall China-Latin America cooperation: Chinese FM
