Indonesia in top 6 of global exporters of prepared and preserved tuna

In 2017, Indonesia was the 6th largest exporter of prepared and preserved tuna. That means, cooked and canned tuna, excluding frozen filets. The Indonesian tuna industry was exporting prepared and preserved tuna at an amount of USD 359 million. That is more than Vietnam (USD 235 million) but less than the Philippines  (USD 370 million), China (USD 416 million). Thailand is by far the champion when it comes to exporting canned tuna (USD 2 billion).

Exports of Indonesian frozen tuna fillets surge

In terms of frozen tuna fillets, Indonesia was ranked as the 5th largest exporter, with a value of USD 94 million. A value that almost equals that of China (USD 101 million). Vietnam exports more than double the value of Indonesian tuna fillets at USD 228 million.  Compared to prepared and preserved tuna, frozen tuna fillets show a very positive trend. Exports of frozen tuna fillet from Indonesia grew by an impressive 74% between 2013 and 2017.  The global sushi trend has clearly triggered the demand for tuna fillet.

USA is a key market for Indonesian tuna

When we look at the main destinations of Indonesian prepared and preserved tuna, we see that the top 3 markets are Japan (USD 59 million), Saudi Arabia (USD 59 million), and USA (USD 52 million),

For frozen tuna fillets, the US market is by far the most important market for Indonesian tuna exporters accounting for an export value of USD 60 million. The second largest market is Japan with a value of USD 8 million, followed by France with a value of USD 6 million. The frozen tuna fillet exports from Indonesia to USA also show a phenomenal growth at 130% between 2013 and 2017.

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Source: All data from from the International Trade Centre, www.trademap.org, 2019