Processed Tuna Export Tariffs to Japan Set at Zero Per Cent from 1 August
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed that Indonesian processed tuna and skipjack products will enjoy a 0 per cent preferential tariff when entering the Japanese market from 1 August 2026 under the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) scheme.
“In less than a week, the 0 per cent IJEPA preferential tariff can officially be utilised by fish processing units (UPI) or registered Indonesian exporters,” said Erwin Dwiyana, Acting Director General of Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fisheries Products at the KKP, in a ministry statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Erwin said the policy is expected to boost the competitiveness of Indonesian fishery products in the Japanese market whilst expanding market access for the fish processing industry and fishermen’s catches.
The preferential tariff follows the ratification of the IJEPA Amendment Protocol through Presidential Regulation Number 32 of 2026.
He explained that before the IJEPA Amendment Protocol took effect, processed tuna and skipjack products under four harmonized system (HS) codes were subject to a general import tariff (most favoured nation/MFN) of 9.6 per cent.
The four products comprise airtight-packaged skipjack and bonito, airtight-packaged tuna, dried boiled skipjack and bonito or katsuobushi with a minimum raw skipjack size requirement of 30 centimetres, and frozen cooked tuna.
“This is a great opportunity because Japan is a potential market for processed tuna and skipjack products. We encourage businesses to take immediate advantage of this facility by registering with the KKP,” said Erwin.
Erwin said that to date the KKP has designated 11 Fish Processing Units (UPI)/exporters as beneficiaries of the preferential tariff facility, after an administrative and technical verification process of 30 candidate UPIs since January 2026.
The 11 UPIs have been granted IJEPA Registration Numbers, with business locations spread across West Java, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, North Sulawesi, and North Sumatra.
The KKP will also carry out periodic inspections to ensure compliance with IJEPA requirements and is preparing the next registration phase so that more exporters can benefit from the preferential tariff facility.
According to KKP data, the value of Indonesian fishery product exports to Japan in 2025 reached USD 613.65 million, an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to the previous year.
The main exported commodities include shrimp at 52.1 per cent, tuna and skipjack at 26.2 per cent, and pearls at 5.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, the value of processed tuna and skipjack exports to Japan that will receive the 0 per cent preferential tariff under the IJEPA scheme reached USD 76.41 million in 2025, up 21 per cent compared to 2024.