BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar on Wednesday informed that the recorded value of spice exports to the US reached $45.9 million in 2024.
This high value of Indonesian exports highlighted the importance of maintaining trust and smooth market access through a credible oversight system.
Through the signing of the CC on April 15, 2026, BPOM and USFDA strengthened their collaboration in the exchange of non-public information. This also supports BPOM's role as a Certifying Entity (CE) in issuing Shipment-Specific Certificates (SSC) for spice commodities.
"BPOM's appointment as a CE reflects the USFDA's growing confidence in Indonesia's regulatory system. Furthermore, BPOM and USFDA now both hold WHO-Listed Authority (WLA) status. We adhere to the same global standards," Ikrar remarked.
Since the implementation of the SSC scheme in October 2025 until the end of April 2026, BPOM has processed more than 2,000 applications and issued 304 certificates to 20 companies, with an economic value of approximately US$2.8–3 billion, or around Rp45 trillion.
The SSC is a crucial instrument in ensuring product safety while maintaining the smooth flow of Indonesian exports to the global market.
This collaboration benefits businesses, particularly exporters of spices, processed foods, and health supplements, by providing regulatory clarity, easier entry to the US market, and broader export opportunities. Stronger certification also enhance global confidence in Indonesian products.
For the public, this commitment provides tangible benefits in the form of increased product safety assurance, consumer protection, and export sustainability, contributing to economic growth and job creation.
The agreement follows heightened scrutiny after the discovery of Cesium-137 contamination in Indonesian clove products in August 2025.
The findings led the USFDA to issue Import Alerts 99-51 and 99-52, along with a Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) measure, requiring stricter safety checks before products can enter the US market.
As a follow-up to the CC signing, BPOM welcomed a USFDA delegation from May 4–8, 2026, to verify and comprehensively assess the effectiveness of BPOM’s certification system. The review includes inspections of production facilities, sampling and testing procedures, laboratory analysis, and SSC issuance mechanisms.
The Associate Commissioner of the USFDA Office of Global Policy and Strategy, Mark Abdoo, expressed hope that information exchange between BPOM and the USFDA will be further strengthened following the agreement.
Similarly, USFDA representative Maria Knirk praised BPOM’s role in supporting trade facilitation while maintaining product safety standards.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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