JakartaPost-Nov 7, 2025
Following August’s cesium-137 contamination incident that disrupted seafood shipments, the government is preparing to renew shrimp exports to the US, which is expected to help meet the $6.25 billion in fisheries export targeted for this year. The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is preparing to resume large-scale exports of shrimp to the United States this month, after concerns over radioactive contamination in August temporarily disrupted shipments. As of this week, seven containers carrying 106 tonnes of shrimp worth US$1.22 million have passed inspection under the Yellow List procedures of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), clearing the way for renewed trade. The government aims to export up to 200 containers of Indonesian shrimp in the near future. “The containers we released starting Oct. 31 have all been certified by the [maritime affairs ministry] and confirmed free from radioactive contamination,” Ishartini, who heads the ministry’s Fishery Product Quality and Safety Agency, told a press conference on Thursday in Jakarta. The cleared containers are bound for several major US ports, including those of New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Jacksonville. Ishartini added that the ministry was continuing to enforce strict monitoring at shrimp processing facilities, and that over 100 containers were still awaiting laboratory test results from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). She also expressed confidence that shrimp, one of the country’s top export earners, would soon regain strong footing in the US market. “The US remains our biggest destination for shrimp exports. Once this hurdle is cleared, it will help unlock access to other international markets as well,” she said. The ministry expects the resumption of shrimp exports to help reach this year’s $6.25 billion fisheries export target. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2025/11/07/indonesia-to-resume-shrimp-exports-to-us-after-cs-137-contamination-scare.html.
