Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is ready to facilitate fish processing units (UPIs) seeking to secure zero percent export tariffs for tuna, cakalang (skipjack), and tongkol (mackerel tuna) to Japan. Acting Director General for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products at the ministry, Machmud, stated in Jakarta on Sunday that this policy is part of the amended Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA). “We are grateful that the amended agreement accommodates Indonesia's interests, such as the elimination of four tariff lines for processed tuna and skipjack products,” he said. He explained that before this amendment, exports of canned tuna and skipjack, as well as other non-canned processed products from Indonesia to Japan, were subject to a 9.6 percent tariff. In the Japanese market, for canned and processed tuna products, Indonesia is currently ranked as the third-largest exporter, with a value of US$30.28 million. Furthermore, Indonesia's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) stands at 13.82 percent, outperforming Thailand and the Philippines, whose CAGR stood at 12.12 percent and 6.31 percent, respectively. “With zero percent tariffs, our tuna and skipjack exports can be more competitive, and we are optimistic that Indonesia can become number one in Japan,” he said. Machmud affirmed that his ministry is currently preparing a circular on the ratification of the IJEPA, which will outline the application procedures for obtaining a zero-percent-tariff registration number for processed tuna and skipjack products (other than canned) under Japan's Harmonized System (HS) codes 1604.14.091 and 1604.14.099. “Fish processing units exporting products under the HS codes specified in the IJEPA protocol must be registered with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries,” he said. The Director of Marketing at the Ministry's Directorate General for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products, Erwin, added that for the first phase, applications for IJEPA registration numbers can be submitted via email to ekspor-ikan@kkp.go.id until January 26, 2026. The protocol to amend the IJEPA was signed on August 8, 2024, by the Indonesian Minister of Trade and the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. Tuna and skipjack are Indonesia's second-largest export commodity, with a market share reaching 17 percent.