Indonesia will strengthen its fish exports to Japan and China following the implementation of new tariff policies announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said that the shift aims to mitigate potential impacts on Indonesia’s seafood export industry.

“We will strengthen our exports to Japan and China,” Trenggono said during a hearing with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Aside from expanding export destinations, the minister also emphasized the importance of stabilizing upstream operations in the fisheries sector. “The focus is on how to stabilize upstream industries and open up new markets while also strengthening the domestic market,” he said.

According to data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Indonesia recorded US$5.95 billion (Rp96.53 trillion) in fishery exports throughout 2024, reaching 82.64 percent of its annual target of US$7.2 billion.

The following were the top export destinations for Indonesian fishery products in 2024:

● United States: US$1.90 billion;

● China: US$1.24 billion;

● ASEAN countries: US$854.22 million;

● Japan: US$598.74 million;

● European Union: US$414.36 million.

The exports include live, fresh, chilled, and processed fishery products, spanning 507 harmonized system (HS) codes.

Main export commodities in 2024:

● Shrimp: US$1.68 billion (28.2 percent of total fishery exports);

● Tuna, skipjack, mackerel: US$1.03 billion (17.4 percent);

● Squid, cuttlefish, octopus: US$874.12 million (14.7 percent);

● Crabs: US$511.66 million (8.6 percent);

● Seaweed: US$342.16 million (5.7 percent).

Other notable commodities included hairtail and croaker (US$100.96 million), tilapia (US$93.51 million), and lobsters (US$91.79 million).

Several commodities saw notable export growth in 2024:

● Tuna, skipjack, mackerel: ↑11.60 percent;

● Squid, cuttlefish, octopus: ↑14.63 percent;

● Crabs: ↑14.30 percent;

● Hairtail and croaker: ↑91.10 percent;

● Tilapia: ↑14.36 percent;

● Lobsters: ↑283.58 percent.

Lobster exports in particular surged, especially to China (↑266.7 percent) and Vietnam (↑8395.4 percent), fueled by the export of lobster seeds between May and December 2024, with a total value of US$15.80 million, according to the KKP’s 2024 performance report.