Jakarta – Indonesian seafood exports continue to thrive, with the United States remaining the leading market for these products in the first half of 2024. Exports to the US totaled $889.39 million, making up 32.8 percent of Indonesia’s total seafood export value.
From January to June 2024, Indonesian seafood exports reached $2.71 billion, reflecting a modest increase from $2.69 billion during the same period in 2023. This represents 37.64 percent of the country’s annual export target of $7.2 billion. Other major markets for Indonesian seafood exports include China (20.5 percent), ASEAN countries (13 percent), Japan (10.5 percent), and the European Union (7.1 percent).
Budi Sulistiyo, Director General of Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products at the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP), emphasized the significance of the US market. “The US remains the foremost destination for Indonesian seafood exports. Although we’ve achieved only 37.64 percent of our target for the first half of 2024, we remain optimistic about hitting the $7.2 billion goal. Our promotional efforts will continue, especially since Indonesia has recently been temporarily exempted from anti-subsidy duties on frozen shrimp exports to the US,” Budi stated.
During this period, the main export commodities included shrimp ($755.79 million), tuna, skipjack, and mackerel ($456.64 million), squid, cuttlefish, and octopus ($396.94 million), crabs and lobsters ($275.15 million), and seaweed ($162.38 million). “Shrimp continues to be the leading export commodity from the national marine and fishery sector for January-June 2024,” Budi noted during a press conference in Jakarta.
On the import side, Indonesia’s seafood and fish product imports for the first half of 2024 were valued at $219.54 million, or 8.09 percent of the export value, showing a significant reduction of 35.15 percent compared to the same period last year. “This further solidifies Indonesia’s status as a net exporter of fishery products,” Budi added.
The trade balance for marine and fishery products in the first half of 2024 showed a surplus of $2.49 billion, or Rp40.67 trillion, reflecting a 6.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Through ongoing efforts and strategic market positioning, Indonesia aims to boost its seafood export performance further, reinforcing its presence in the global seafood market.
