Indonesia’s Seafood Products Gain Ground in Japan

RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo – Indonesian seafood businesses recorded potential transactions worth USD 198.33 million, equivalent to Rp3.49 trillion, at the 28th Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo (JISTE) 2026, held from August 19 to 21 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo.

Director General of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, Fajarini Puntodewi, said the potential transactions reflected the strong market opportunities for Indonesian fishery products in Japan. She encouraged Indonesian seafood exporters to make greater use of the Protocol Amending the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) to expand access to Japan's processed fish market.

“The potential transactions recorded at JISTE 2026 demonstrate the strong competitiveness of Indonesian fishery products in Japan. Indonesian businesses can continue to capitalize on this opportunity, including by optimizing the implementation of the Protocol Amending IJEPA. The agreement provides greater access to the Japanese market through a zero-percent tariff policy for processed fish products from Indonesia,” Puntodewi said, according to an official statement issued Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Business-matching sessions between Indonesian exporters and Japanese buyers during the expo showed that tuna, in various forms and processed products, had the highest transaction potential. Other products with strong potential included octopus, kisu fish, and fried shrimp (ebi fry).

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir said the implementation of the Protocol Amending IJEPA, which provides zero-percent tariffs for Indonesian processed fish products, had opened up broader market opportunities. She said the move was particularly important as the fisheries sector is a key pillar of economic relations between Indonesia and Japan.

“In addition, to maintain the trust of Japanese partners, Indonesian businesses need to demonstrate commitment, consistency, and continuity of supply. Trust is built not only through product quality, but also through reliability and transparency in fulfilling commitments,” she said.

JISTE 2026 brought together 700 companies from 19 countries and attracted 30,091 visitors, up 7.73 percent from the 27,932 visitors recorded at JISTE 2025. The Indonesian Pavilion covered 72 square meters and featured 14 Indonesian companies.

The participation was a collaboration between the Ministry of Trade, through the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Osaka and the Trade Attaché in Tokyo, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Tokyo, Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and the ASEAN-Japan Centre.

Japan remains one of the strategic markets for Indonesian fishery products. From January to June 2026, Indonesia's fishery exports to Japan were valued at USD 173 million, down 7.99 percent from the same period in 2025.

The decline was mainly driven by weaker exports of several commodities, including frozen shrimp and skipjack tuna. However, exports of tuna, seaweed, and processed fish products continued to post positive growth, creating opportunities for further product and market diversification.

Meanwhile, Indonesian exports of processed fishery products to Japan continued to grow. From January to June 2026, exports reached USD 45.81 million, or around Rp807.67 billion, up 29.05 percent from the same period a year earlier.