August 21, 2025 | 06:11 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The export market for Indonesian shrimp to the United States has been hit by a serious setback. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the recall of frozen shrimp products from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) after detecting traces of the radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137).
The FDA explained that the discovery originated from a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which identified Cs-137 in shipping containers at four major ports: Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami. Laboratory tests conducted by the FDA confirmed the presence of the isotope in samples of breaded shrimp.
"All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country," the FDA stated in an official press release on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
As a precautionary measure, the FDA requested that the retail giant Walmart withdraw three frozen shrimp products from BMS Foods from its shelves. This action aims to mitigate the risk of exposure to low-level radiation, which, while not immediately dangerous, can have long-term health effects if it accumulates in the body.
The FDA emphasized its commitment to working with the CBP and Indonesian seafood authorities to investigate the source of the contamination. "FDA is actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia," the agency said.
U.S. as a Main Export Market
The United States has consistently been the primary destination for Indonesian shrimp exports. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), in the first quarter of 2025, the value of non-oil and gas exports from Indonesia to the U.S. reached US7.3 billion. Of this total, the export of shrimp and fish (classified under HS03) contributed US$287.34 million, or 3.93% of Indonesia's total exports to the U.S.
While its contribution is not as large as major manufacturing sectors like electrical machinery, footwear, or textiles, shrimp remains one of Indonesia's most important non-oil and gas commodities, supporting its export economy.
Data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries shows that in 2024, the export value of Indonesian shrimp was US$1.68 billion, with a volume of 214,580 tons. A significant portion, 63.7 percent, was exported to the U.S., followed by Japan and China.
Despite this, shrimp exports to the U.S. had already been declining, dropping by 15.8% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.
Globally, Indonesia ranks fifth among the world's largest shrimp exporters with a 6% market share, trailing Ecuador (25.0%), India (17.8%), Vietnam (10.8%), and China (7.5%). Demand for Indonesian shrimp has also fallen in other key markets, including Japan by 8.3%, China by 24.4%, the European Union by 2.1%, and ASEAN by 29.3%.
Melynda Dwi Puspita, Ihsan Reliubun, and Alfitria Nefi P contributed to the report.
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