June 16, 2008

Japan to reduce import duty on Indonesian shrimps to zero percent
   
  

Japan intends to cut import duty on Indonesian shrimps to zero percent from one percent starting July 2008, according to the director of Foreign Marketing at the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Saut Hutagalung on Thursday (June 12, 2008).
 

Hutagalung said he hopes Indonesian shrimp exporters would benefit from this but the key to increasing seafood exports lies in the product quality and safety as well as market demand.

Good quality would improve consumer confidence and product image so that the market for Indonesian seafood products could grow, Hutagalung said.

Good product image has improved Indonesia's access to the export market through negotiations on the reduction of bilateral trade barriers, according to Hutagalung.

The Indonesian government is cooperating with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to improve the competitiveness of Indonesia's seafood products and to increase their access to the Japanese market, Hutagalung said.

Indonesia has set the target of seafood exports for 2008 at US$2.6 billion, with shrimp and tuna expected to be the top export items.

Last year, Indonesia exported US$2.3 billion worth of seafood products, with shrimp exports accounting for nearly 50 percent and tuna exports represented 15 percent.