Effective October 31, 2025- Import Certification Requirements for Shrimp and Spices from Indonesia

Starting October 31, 2025, the agency will require import certification for shrimp and spices from specific regions of Indonesia due to concerns about potential contamination with Cesium-137. This marks the first time this Congressional authority is being used to tackle persistent food safety issues while ensuring continued trade of safe products.

According to the FDA, import certification requirements under Import Alert 99-52 will be triggered by the information declared in the customs entry via ACE. Specifically, this includes entries with FDA product codes and FDA Manufacturer Identification (MID) linked to processing plants located in the Island of Java and the Province of Lampung on the Island of Sumatra.

Shipments currently in transit and scheduled to arrive on or after October 31 will require a Certificate of Assurance and/or Import Certification issued by the FDA’s designated Certifying Entity (CE). In response to multiple requests from various stakeholders—including the government of Indonesia—the FDA is actively reviewing potential extensions and additional considerations. The agency is also in the process of announcing the designated Certifying Entity and will update Import Alert 99-52 once a final decision is made.

Note: If you are importing from the two firms listed on the Red List—PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati and PT. Natural Java Spice—they must first obtain a Certificate of Assurance in order to be removed from the Red List. Once removed, they may be placed on the Yellow List, which requires import certification before the product can depart the port of export for shipment to the United States.

Flegenheimer International will continue to monitor for further updates. 

To read more about the import certification: https://www.fda.gov/food/importing-food-products-united-states/import-certification