China has resumed exports of grilled eels to Japan after a four-month suspension triggered by reports saying banned drugs had been found in the products.

Inspection and quarantine authorities in southern China's Guangdong Province, the country's leading eel exporter, said exports to Japan resumed in mid November. In addition, several Japanese importers had visited Guangdong over the past two weeks to place orders.

Chinese grilled eel products were taken off Japanese shelves in July amid concerns about the use of antibiotics and some banned substances, said Huang Weiming, Guangdong inspection and quarantine bureau vice director.

He said Guangdong had not received a single order for grilled eel from Japanese importers over the past four months.

Many Japanese love grilled eels from China. They make up about 80 percent of the market and are sold at prices 40 percent cheaper than similar Japanese products, Huang said.

The bureau sent an investigation team to Japan and the Republic of Korea last month. The trip aimed to exchange views with representatives from the Japanese fishery industry association and the country's press to clarify misunderstandings about Chinese products, he said.

During the visit, the Japanese expressed a willingness to enhance communication with the Chinese side to remove the misunderstandings and end the trade impasse that had been detrimental to both sides.

Huang said joint meetings would be held between Japanese eel importers and exporters from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. "The outlook of Chinese eel exports is quite optimistic."

Japan, with its population of nearly 130 million, consumes about 100,000 tons of eel a year. In comparison, China with 1.3 billion people consumes 25,000 tons of eels annually.

Eating vitamin-rich eel in summer has long been viewed by the Japanese as a way to gain stamina on hot days.

China exported 46,646 tons of grilled eel last year, accounting for 8.2 percent of its total export of agricultural products.

The country also exported 14,200 tons of live eel in 2006.

Chinese eels are currently sold to 29 countries and regions, including the United States, Russia and members of the European Union.