On this page
- Fish and seafood opportunities in Indonesia
- Current tariff landscape and tariff outcomes under the CEPA
- Halal certification
- Rules of origin and origin procedures
- Technical barriers to trade
- Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
- Customs procedures and trade facilitation
- Temporary movement of natural persons
- Trade and sustainable development
- Provincial and territorial interests
Fish and seafood opportunities in Indonesia
Indonesia’s fish and seafood market is one of the largest in the world, driven by its archipelagic geography and vibrant culinary culture. Indonesia is a fishing hub and a major exporter of fish and seafood. However, Indonesia imports a number of specific products that present an opportunity for Canadian exporters, including lobsters, Atlantic and Pacific salmon, skipjack tuna, scallops, cod, and cold-water shrimps and prawns. While Canadian fish and seafood exports to Indonesia have been modest—estimated at $26.3 million annually in 2024—the CEPA presents an opportunity to significantly boost Canada’s share in this market.
Indonesia has high demand for species that align well with Canada’s export profile, such as lobster, salmon, mussels, and oysters. Additionally, species like mackerel, herring, cod, halibut, and flat fish are also consumed widely in Indonesia. Indonesian consumers increasingly prioritize high-quality fresh fish and seafood, although frozen and preserved products are also in demand due to urbanization and lifestyle changes that favour convenience.
Current tariff landscape and tariff outcomes under the CEPA
Prior to the CEPA, Indonesia’s applied tariffs on fish and seafood averaged 6.1%, reaching as high as 20%. Once fully implemented, the CEPA will provide Canadian products with a level playing field competing with countries like Australia and Chile, who have secured preferential tariff rates through their respective trade agreements.
The CEPA will create new opportunities for Canadian exporters by eliminating or phasing out tariffs across a range of fish and seafood products. Key products benefiting from tariff elimination include:
- Lobster (fresh and frozen) – 5% tariffs to be eliminated upon the entry into force or phased out up to 15 years.
- Salmon (fresh and preserved) – 5% tariffs to be eliminated upon the entry into force or phased out up to 15 years.
- Scallops (live, fresh or frozen) – 5% tariffs to be eliminated upon entry into force.
- Halibut (fresh, chilled or frozen) – 5% tariffs to be phased out over 10 years.
Halal certification
Indonesia’s halal requirements are central to food trade, given the country’s large Muslim population and existing domestic regulations. Indonesia has authorized two private halal certification bodies in Canada to certify Canadian fish and seafood products to meet Indonesia’s halal requirements. These efforts improve access to the growing Indonesian market for halal foods.
Rules of origin and origin procedures
The CEPA’s Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures chapter provides clear criteria and simplified processes for determining product origin, ensuring that qualifying Canadian fish and seafood exports enjoy preferential tariff treatment. These provisions provide predictability to exporters, helping them maximize the advantages of the CEPA.
Technical barriers to trade
The CEPA’s Technical Barriers to Trade chapter promotes transparency in regulatory processes related to fish and seafood standards and certification. It encourages Indonesia to align with international standards, reducing duplicative testing and certification processes. Canadian fish and seafood exporters will benefit from predictable regulatory frameworks in Indonesia’s market.
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
The CEPA establishes an SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Committee to foster technical cooperation between Canada and Indonesia and to address trade irritants. Further, the Chapter creates robust and comprehensive obligations on how the Parties take SPS measures, so that they do not function as unjustified barriers. This includes obligations on risk analysis, transparency, import checks, and certification. The CEPA is subject to dispute settlement and also creates a new mechanism to resolve issues cooperatively by government officials.
The CEPA maintains the sovereign right of Canada and Indonesia to take SPS measures necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health and to establish their individual appropriate level of protection, while also committing to avoid unnecessary barriers to trade.
Customs procedures and trade facilitation
With the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation as a foundation, the CEPA establishes commitments that promote greater predictability, consistency and transparency in customs matters. Through provisions that include, among others, automated border processing, risk-based border inspections, and advance customs rulings for the tariff classification, customs valuation and origin of goods, Canadian exporters to Indonesia in the fish and seafood industry will benefit from customs processes that ensure their goods spend the least amount of time at the border.
Temporary movement of natural persons
The Temporary Movement of Natural Persons chapter facilitates entry for Canadian business professionals, including those in the fish and seafood sector. Exporters and investors can benefit from clearer pathways for intra-company transfers and short-term business visits, improving business operations and market engagement.
Trade and sustainable development
The Trade and Environment Section of the CEPA’s Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapter promotes high levels of environmental protection and responsible business practices, ensuring that trade and investment activities do not undermine environmental protection efforts. The Agreement commits both Parties to effectively enforce environmental laws and not lower them as a means to attract trade or investment. The TSD Chapter also promotes the sustainable management of marine resources by committing both parties to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and to ensure fisheries and aquaculture operations are conducted responsibly and sustainably.
Provincial and territorial interests
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec all showcase strong seafood industries anchored in products such as lobster, cold-water shrimp, cod, scallops, and Atlantic salmon. CEPA’s elimination or phase-out of tariffs on these products enhances the competitiveness of these provinces, enabling stronger footholds in Indonesia’s high-demand seafood market.
The Agreement also supports Prince Edward Island’s interest in expanding its bioscience sector, which includes seafood-based additives.
British Columbia’s seafood industry spans salmon, halibut, and scallops. The province benefits from CEPA’s tariff elimination and improvements to Indonesia’s import permit process, which had previously presented challenges for exporters.
Manitoba, with its freshwater fisheries and aquaculture sector producing Arctic char, rainbow trout, whitefish, and various freshwater species, gains greater access to Indonesia’s market through CEPA’s support for tariff-free entry.