Jakarta. Indonesia has begun rolling out certificates that prove its United States-bound shrimp shipments are free of radioactive contamination, amidst Jakarta’s attempt to save its exports.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has flagged concerns over Indonesian shrimps after discovering traces of the hazardous radionuclide Cs-137 in a sample in early August 2025. The radioactive scare prompted the US FDA to require import certification for shrimp from locations at risk of contamination, namely the densely populated Java Island and Lampung, starting on Oct. 31.

The Fishery Ministry's quality assurance agency has assumed the certifying entity role. In other words, they will verify the control of the radioactive element, according to the state-run news outlet Antara.

“We have prepared the scheme and the procedures for the Cs-137-free certification in line with the US FDA's requirements and Import Alert #99-52,” Ishartini, the head of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Quality Assurance Agency, said over the weekend.

The Marine Affairs Ministry is working with the nuclear regulator agency Bapeten and the national research body BRIN on the certification. They will conduct scanning and testing in Indonesia’s key areas of the shrimp production chain in Java and Lampung.

Indonesia already deployed its first batch of certified shrimp exports under this new system on Friday, the day when the fresh requirements came into effect. The said tranche included cargoes bound for New York and Los Angeles. Ishartini revealed that another batch of shrimps would get shipped to Miami and Jacksonville the following day.

The FDA investigation on Indonesian shrimp exports remains ongoing. The US has barred shrimps from the Indonesian aquaculture firm Bahari Makmur Sejati from entering its market until the company provides adequate information that they have resolved the problem. 

Government data showed Indonesia’s exports to the US totaled $20.6 billion between January and August 2025.

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