Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that the United States has regained confidence in Indonesian shrimp products, with demand rising after exports were confirmed free of Cesium-137 contamination.
“This shows that we are capable. When a problem emerges, we resolve it quickly,” Zulkifli said at an event on Wednesday marking the shipment of 128 tons of shrimp from Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta.
The United States continues to be Indonesia’s top market for shrimp, with annual exports valued at roughly $1 billion. The U.S. shrimp market is estimated at over $6 billion, while the global shrimp industry surpasses $24 billion.
According to Zulkifli, the stronger market performance highlights Indonesia’s capability to comply with international standards and reinforce its quality assurance throughout the supply chain.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining strict quality controls and practicing trade diplomacy to secure continued export opportunities.
He noted that obtaining Cesium-137-free certification was made possible not only through technical monitoring but also through coordinated diplomatic efforts involving the Indonesian government, U.S. officials, and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten).
“This is not only about quality, but also export diplomacy. Trust in global markets does not appear overnight,” he added.
Zulkifli acknowledged that he was initially taken aback by the radiation findings, given that Indonesia has no nuclear facilities. He pointed to a comparable incident with clove exports from Lampung, which were reported as contaminated despite originating from normal farmland.
Authorities later traced the issue to a company that had imported contaminated raw materials on four separate occasions. All affected shipments were ordered to be returned, and the firm has been temporarily closed.
Indonesia has since resumed shrimp exports to the United States after securing radiation-free certification. In its latest consignment, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) shipped 182 tons of shrimp worth about Rp25 billion.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono stated that this marks the second export batch since Indonesia verified its shrimp complies with international radiation safety standards.
The minister also expressed optimism that ongoing improvements in testing and certification would help Indonesian seafood to remain competitive in the global market.
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