RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is stepping up efforts to maintain the competitiveness of national fishery products in the Chinese market. This initiative involves joint inspections with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) at several Fish Processing Units (FPUs).

These inspections are part of bilateral cooperation to ensure that quality standards for fishery products continue to be met. This initiative also aims to maintain and expand Indonesia’s export access to the Chinese market.

“This is a regular activity and one of the prerequisites for maintaining -- and even improving -- market access and the acceptance of our products in China,” said Acting Head of the Agency for Quality Control and Supervision of Marine and Fisheries Products (Ministry’s Quality Agency), Ishartini, on the sidelines of the opening meeting for the GACC inspection in Jakarta on Monday, July 20, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Ishartini explained that Indonesia and China have a bilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). Under this agreement, only fisheries companies registered with the Ministry and the GACC may export or import fisheries products.

During this inspection, the joint team inspected 3 FPUs out of a total of 648 FPUs registered with the GACC in Indonesia as of July 19. In 2025, these three companies exported more than 5,000 metric tons of fishery products to China, with a value reaching USD 18 million.

The inspection covered the implementation of sanitation, hygiene, food safety, and traceability systems throughout the production process. The commodities inspected included ribbonfish, leatherjacket fish, cephalopods, swimming crabs, Spanish mackerel, conger eels, and sea snails.

The Ministry notes that Indonesia’s fisheries exports to China currently total 479,000 metric tons, valued at approximately USD 1.2 billion. Major products exported include squid, seaweed, layur fish, vaname shrimp, fish roe, skipjack tuna, mackerel, snapper, octopus, sea cucumber, grouper, and gulamah fish.

Ishartini added that the Ministry continues to ensure the acceptability of Indonesian products through verification of the Processing Eligibility Certificate (SKP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), as well as periodic monitoring of sanitation, hygiene, food safety, and laboratory testing.

Oversight of national fishery products is also conducted in collaboration with the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). ***