The drive is reflected in a rising number of companies securing approval numbers from Taiwanese and South Korean authorities, allowing more fish processing units to export to international markets.
Quality Control Agency head Ishartini said in a Jakarta statement on Tuesday that 33 additional processing units have received export approval.
“Following inter-authority coordination and joint pre-border inspections, we received official notification approving 33 newly proposed units,” she said.
The additions bring the total number of Indonesian processors eligible to export to South Korea to 710, and to Taiwan to 711.
Ishartini said the expanded approvals should lift export performance, particularly to meet demand ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year.
She added that seafood export trends to both Taiwan and South Korea continue to show steady growth.
In 2025, Indonesia shipped 26,107 tons of seafood to South Korea worth about US$87.3 million, and 57,308 tons to Taiwan valued at US$106.3 million.
Key products to South Korea include shrimp cracker pellets, dried seaweed, frozen surimi and red shrimp, while Taiwan imports live shellfish, frozen squid and tilapia belly meat.
Approval numbers are issued by destination-country authorities after rigorous inspections of sanitation, hygiene and food safety standards at processing facilities.
Applications can only be submitted by recognized competent authorities, ensuring exported seafood meets internationally accepted quality and safety benchmarks.
With broader recognition, the ministry expects Indonesian seafood exports to become more competitive and contribute more significantly to state revenue.
Meanwhile, to boost exports to Japan, the fisheries ministry is preparing to facilitate processors seeking zero-tariff access for tuna, skipjack and mackerel exports.
According to the ministry’s acting director general for competitiveness, Machmud, the policy follows revisions to the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
“The amendment accommodates Indonesia’s interests, including the elimination of four tariff lines for processed tuna and skipjack,” he said on Sunday, Jan. 18.
Before the revision, canned tuna and other processed products faced import tariffs of 9.6 percent in Japan.
In the Japanese market, Indonesian canned tuna and processed products rank third among exporters, with shipments valued at US$30.28 million.
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Translator: Shofi A, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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