November 25, 2025 | 12:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Task Force for Handling the Hazard of Radioactive Radionuclide Cesium-137 announced that Indonesia has resumed shrimp exports to the United States following the radioactive contamination case involving products from PT Bahari Makmur Sejahtera (BMS).
"A total of 121 containers have been exported (on water)," stated Bara Krishna Hasibuan, Head of Diplomacy and Communication for the Cesium-137 Task Force, in a written statement on Monday, November 25, 2025.
Bara explained that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), as the official authority issuing shrimp product certifications, has conducted scanning of 920 containers of shrimp products destined for the United States. Of these containers, 121 are currently in transit, with 262 others ready for export.
Certification Requirements
The Indonesian government confirmed that the U.S. requires a radioactive-free certificate for shrimp and cloves imported from Indonesian regions identified as being on the yellow list, namely Java and Lampung. "The United States remains open to shrimp and cloves from Indonesia as long as they meet these requirements," Bara Krishna Hasibuan stated in Jakarta on Monday, October 13, 2025.
This certificate requirement is in response to Import Alert #99-52 issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This alert followed the discovery of Cesium-137 contamination in several shrimp and clove shipments from Indonesia.
Bara confirmed that the radioactive-free certificate is issued by the KKP, as agreed upon by the FDA. He guaranteed that the testing and certification scheme can ensure that Indonesian cloves and shrimp products are free from Cesium-137 contamination. He also noted that the industry agrees to comply with the applicable requirements in hopes of restoring normal exports from Indonesia to the United States.
Ishartini, Head of the Marine and Fisheries Product Quality Control and Monitoring Agency (BKPM), stated that they will utilize the existing certification, specifically the Fisheries Product Quality Certificate (SMHKP). "We will only add an explanation in the certification regarding being free from radioactive substances," Ishartini clarified.
Red and Yellow Lists
In addition to issuing a yellow list for the two Indonesian regions, the United States has also set a red list for domestic shrimp and clove-producing companies whose products have been proven to be exposed to Cesium-137.
The Task Force announced that at least two Indonesian companies, PT BMS and PT NJS, are currently included on the red list.
These two companies can be removed from the red list and resume exports to the United States, provided they obtain certification from a third-party accredited by the FDA. However, the government has not yet determined an independent, non-governmental organization to provide this certification.
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