Processed Tuna Export Tariffs to Japan Set at Zero Per Cent from 1 August

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed that processed tuna and skipjack products from Indonesia will enjoy a zero per cent preferential tariff upon 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 registered UPI or Indonesian exporters,” said Erwin Dwiyana, Acting Director General of Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products at KKP, in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday. The policy is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian fishery products in the Japanese market while expanding market access for the fish processing industry and fishermen’s catches. The implementation of the preferential tariff follows the ratification of the Protocol Amending the IJEPA through Presidential Regulation Number 32 of 2026. Erwin explained that prior to the protocol amendment, processed tuna and skipjack products under four Harmonized System (HS) codes were subject to a general import duty, or Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff, of 9.6 per cent. The four products include skipjack and bonito in airtight packaging, tuna in airtight packaging, dried boiled skipjack and bonito or katsuobushi with a minimum raw material size 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 business operators to immediately take advantage of this facility by registering with the KKP,” Erwin stated. He noted that the KKP has so far designated 11 Fish Processing Units (UPI) or exporters as recipients of the preferential tariff facility after conducting administrative and technical verification of 30 prospective UPIs since January 2026. These eleven UPIs have obtained 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 conduct periodic inspections to ensure compliance with IJEPA requirements and prepare the next phase of registration so that more exporters can utilise the preferential tariff facility. According to KKP data, the value of Indonesian fishery product exports to Japan in 2025 reached 613.65 million US dollars, an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to the previous year. The main exported commodities comprised shrimp at 52.1 per cent, tuna and skipjack at 26.2 per cent, and pearls at 5.9 per cent. Meanwhile, the export value of processed tuna and skipjack products to Japan that will benefit from the zero per cent preferential tariff under the IJEPA scheme reached 76.41 million US dollars in 2025, a 21 per cent increase from 2024.