Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries aims to secure up to US$8 million in potential transactions at Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) 2025 in Paris, as part of efforts to expand the global footprint of the country’s fast-growing seaweed industry.
Machmud, Acting Director General for Marine and Fisheries Product Competitiveness, said Indonesia is presenting an "Indonesia Seaweed Pavilion" featuring six exporters of processed seaweed products at the world's largest food additive exhibition.
"Indonesia's participation in FIE reaffirms that our seaweed products can compete globally," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
He said Indonesian seaweed, often referred to as the archipelago's "green gold," has wide diversification potential, from carrageenan and agar — a seaweed-based gelling agent — to raw materials for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and industrial uses.
Indonesia recorded US$264.6 million in seaweed exports from January to October 2025, with dried seaweed and carrageenan contributing the most. China remained the top market with US$183.6 million, followed by the EU with US$27.3 million.
The EU is Indonesia's largest export market for agar, accounting for US$4 million (25.6 percent), and the second-largest for carrageenan at US$20.3 million (21.8 percent). China continued to lead demand for dried seaweed at US$138.2 million.
At FIE 2025, the ministry is working with the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO) to collect market intelligence on consumer trends, product specifications, technology developments, and European preferences for seaweed derivatives.
Indonesia’s delegation also attended the Fi Europe Partner Meeting to discuss export regulations and explore opportunities to widen market access.
Indonesia's Ambassador to France Mohammad Oemar said progress in the Indonesia–EU CEPA negotiations could help remove tariff barriers and strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian carrageenan and agar products.
Six Indonesian companies are exhibiting at the pavilion: Surya Indoalgas, Hakiki Donarta, Agar Swallow, Karagen Indonesia, Agalindo Perdana, and Rote Karaginan Nusantara.
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Translator: Ida Nurcahyani, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Anton Santoso
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