Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Thousands of containers of Indonesian shrimp en route to the United States have been cleared for entry following a special exemption agreement between Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Ishartini, head of the Agency for Fishery Product Quality Control and Supervision at KKP, said senior officials from both sides reached the agreement after a series of intensive negotiations in a dedicated forum with the FDA.
“They granted a special exemption for thousands of Indonesian shrimp containers currently in transit and scheduled to arrive in the U.S. after October 31, 2025,” Ishartini said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday, as reported by Antara.
The deal was finalized on Saturday, October 18 (U.S. time), following the U.S. government’s issuance of a new import regulation known as Import Alert (IA) #99-52.
Import Alert #99-52 subjects Indonesian shrimp particularly those from Java and Lampung to tighter scrutiny to ensure they are free from radioactive contamination by Cesium-137.
The policy, which takes effect on October 31, 2025, requires all shrimp products from affected regions to carry an official certificate verifying they are free of Cesium-137 contamination, issued by a competent authority in Indonesia before entering the U.S. market.
The regulation had sparked concern among Indonesian exporters and seafood industry stakeholders, as thousands of shrimp containers were already in transit when the new rule was announced. Many were expected to arrive after the deadline without the additional documentation required under the updated FDA policy.
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However, KKP confirmed that it successfully secured a temporary exemption, allowing the shipments to enter the U.S. despite the new rule.
“We were able to convince the FDA that over 1,000 shrimp containers arriving after October 31 have undergone rigorous quality assurance procedures and are accompanied by Fishery Product Quality Certificates (SMKHP) issued by KKP,” Ishartini said.
She added that all containers will still be subject to inspection by the FDA upon arrival in the U.S. to ensure compliance and confirm the absence of Cesium-137 contamination. The same inspection measures will also apply to containers arriving before October 31.
(Raidi/Agung)
