Date of Issue: 03 March 2015
Date of Effect: Immediate
Attention:
Industries - Seafood
Department of Agriculture - Central and Regional offices
Affected Markets: Indonesia
Further information: Please contact Exports if you have any queries.
The Department of Agriculture (the department) has recently become aware that Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) have revised a number of regulations governing the import of fish and fishery products. These changes may affect the ability to export fish and fishery products to Indonesia.
Regulation Number 46/2014 concerning quality control and product safety of fisheries imported into the territory of the Republic of Indonesia (scheduled to be implemented on 1 April 2015)
Implementation date
The department has sought urgent advice to confirm that the date of implementation of Regulation Number 46/2014 applies to the date the goods are certified by the department and not the date of arrival of goods in Indonesia. Further advice will be issued as soon as clarification has been received. In the meantime, exporters are strongly encouraged to work with their importers to verify import eligibility of product prior to exporting.
Export Certification
Regulation Number 46/2014 requires a change to export certification. To allow time for revised certification which addresses the needs of both MMAF and Australian exporters to be developed and implemented, the department has requested that MMAF continue to accept existing certification beyond 1 April 2015. Industry will be kept advised of any changes to export certification or potential interruptions in the department’s ability to certify product.
Permitted imports
Regulation Number 46/2014 restricts imports to six end uses:
- Raw material for the fish canning industry;
- Raw material for fish processing for re-export and not for trade in Indonesia;
- Raw material in preserved form for traditional processing;
- Specific food fortification/enrichment raw material;
- Hotel, restaurant catering and modern market consumption; and
- Bait.
To ensure compliance with the above requirements, exporters are encouraged to work with their importers and make sure an import permit has been issued by the Indonesian authorities prior to exporting the goods.
Additional documentation requirements
In addition to export certification, Regulation Number 46/2014 states that shipments of seafood imported into Indonesia must:
- be accompanied by a certificate of origin from the authorised agency at the country of origin;
- labelled (for packaged product) or accompanied by a document such as an invoice or packing list (for product imported in bulk form) written or printed in Indonesian and English; and
- for product entering Indonesia for re-export to the European Union, an Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) catch certificate as required in European Council Regulation (EC) 1005/2008.
Regulation Number 41/Permen-kp/2014 concerning the import prohibition of hazardous fish species from overseas into the territory of the Republic of Indonesia (implemented on 23 September 2014) and Decree Number 125/2014 concerning the types of fishery products that can be imported into the territory of the Republic of Indonesia (implemented on 19 November 2014).
Decree number 125/2014 lists eligible marine species and their permitted end use for import into Indonesia.
Regulation Number 125/2014 also specifies Indonesia’s criteria for import eligibility as follows:
- Species for import must not be available in Indonesian waters or be produced in Indonesia;
- Imports will be permitted based on local supplies, as influenced by the season; and
- Imports will be permitted if domestic supplies are limited or unavailable.
Regulation 41/2014 lists 152 species which are banned for live export, with exceptions made only if the import is intended for scientific research, demonstration or exhibition.
To ensure compliance with Decree 125/2014 and Regulation 41/2014 exporters are encouraged to work with their importers and make sure an import permit has been issued by the Indonesian authorities prior to exporting the goods.
Updates will be provided to industry as they become available.
The information provided above is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.