Jakarta. The Indonesian government recently said it was ready to facilitate fish businesses that wish to gain 0% tariff on their Japan-bound tuna, skipjack, and mackerel.

Japan has agreed to eliminate tariff lines on fish products coming from Indonesia following revisions to the bilateral trade pact. Both countries inked the amendment protocol to the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement back in 2024, which granted greater market access for Jakarta's fish exports.

"The revised agreement accommodates Indonesia's interests by eliminating four tariff lines on processed tuna and skipjack products," Machmud, a senior official at the Maritime Affairs Ministry, was quoted as saying by the state news agency Antara.

The tariff lines in question included skipjack, other bonito, and tunas in airtight containers. It also covers boiled and dried skipjack, as well as other bonito.

"With a 0% tariff, our tuna and skipjack tuna exports will be more competitive. We are optimistic that Indonesia can become the number one exporter in Japan," he said.

Exports of canned tuna, skipjack, and other non-canned products were previously subject to a 9.6% tariff when entering the Japanese market, according to Machmud. Indonesia is the third-largest exporter of canned tuna and other processed fishery products to Japan, with exports totaling $30.28 million. Its shipments also enjoyed a 13.82% compound annual growth rate, beating that of Thailand and the Philippines, which reached 12.12% and 6.31%, respectively.

The Maritime Affairs Ministry is currently drafting a circular letter that will lay out the how-to on getting the 0% tariff. However, the business or the fish processing unit must be registered with the ministry to gain such a facility.

Indonesia's overall exports to Japan neared $16 billion between January and November 2025, Trade Ministry data showed.

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