Japan's scallops, spurned by China, head to high-end U.S. market

LOS ANGELES -- Japan is setting up a supply chain for Hokkaido scallops bound for the U.S. West Coast via Mexican processing plants, a rerouting that eases geopolitical headaches from a Chinese ban and opens the door to higher-end markets that fetch double the price.

Fourteen Japanese companies visited three seafood processors in the city of Ensenada on Mexico's western coast to see scallop shucking in action on a tour that ended Saturday and was sponsored by the Japan External Trade Organization.