Representatives of Europêche met this Thursday, May 7, with DG TRADE and DG MARE to reiterate their deep concerns regarding the proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and Indonesia, the world’s leading tuna producer.
This was a constructive and insightful conversation but still some urgent issues remain.
In its current draft, the agreement provides for the liberalisation of Indonesian tuna products, including the elimination of customs duties, particularly on tuna fillets, a high value-added segment. This raises fears of a massive influx of imports onto the European market.
This decision is all the more incomprehensible given that the European Commission itself had identified tuna as a “sensitive product” and had been alerted by the Market Advisory Council. French tuna association Orthongel and Europêche are therefore calling on the EU to reconsider its position in order to avoid an economic, social, and sanitary shock for the sector.
Indonesia: a major and opaque player in the global tuna industry
Indonesia is currently the world’s leading producer of tropical tuna, exporting around 200,000 tonnes annually. It operates an extremely large and fragmented fleet, estimated at several hundred thousand vessels, with low levels of oversight and transparency: absence of a comprehensive fleet register, quota overruns, at-sea transshipment, lack of scientific observers, and documented risks related to IUU fishing and forced labour.
Under these conditions, it is impossible to guarantee traceability and compliance with sanitary standards of exported products.
What does the agreement currently provide?
The draft EU–Indonesia free trade agreement includes the following tariff concessions on tuna products: 800 tonnes of canned tuna duty-free; 5,000 tonnes of tuna loins duty-free; and full removal of customs duties on tuna fillets (now 18 per cent) and whole tuna (now 24 per cent).
While the canned tuna quota is not considered significant, tuna fillets, intended for direct consumption and representing the highest-value segment, are not subject to any volume limitation.
The ILO Working in Fishing Convention (C188), necessary for a level playing field for fishers, is not included in the agreement while Indonesia is the biggest provider of fishers worldwide. Most of them work on board Asian fleets, where they have terrible working conditions on board, as documented by the ILO and civil society reports.
What are the risks for the European tuna Industry?
The removal of customs duties on tuna fillets will mechanically lead to an increase in imports and create direct competition in the most strategic future-oriented segment for the European fleet.
Historically focused on canned products, the European fleet has recently made massive investments to develop onboard freezing technology at -18°C and position itself in the high value-added tuna fillet market (frozen products and the “fresh-defrosted” segment).
After several years of audits and technical work, the European Commission officially recognised this -18°C freezing method in November 2025, opening new opportunities for the sector. Only a few months later, however, it is creating an opening for Indonesian products that do not comply with the requirements imposed on European operators, thereby worsening distortions in competition.
This situation is inexplicable.
What are the risks for European consumers?
Tuna fillets are not intermediate industrial products: they are intended directly for consumption, either in food service or retail distribution.
At a time when tuna is a globalised market, the removal of customs duties for a country showing such glaring shortcomings in sanitary controls and traceability raises legitimate concerns regarding the safety and quality of products offered to European consumers. To our knowledge, Indonesia does not have vessels that are able to freeze at sea at -18ºC and fish with small boats and freeze tunas later, at cold storage facilities that are listed by the Indonesian health authorities.
This situation is in complete contradiction with the EU’s objectives regarding food sovereignty and consumer protection.
What is Europêche requesting?
Europêche is once again calling on the European Commission to introduce essential safeguards to ensure fair competition conditions.
The sector is calling for the reestablishment of duty for tuna fillets or, as a minimum, the establishment of a tariff-rate quota on tuna fillets, at the same level as for tuna loins (maximum 5,000 tonnes).
The sector is also requesting that the commission introduce guarantees similar to the MERCOSUR model by implementnig a tuna-specific safeguard clause that can be activated rapidly in the event of increased imports or price disruptions.
The commission must include a clause allowing suspension of tariff preferences in cases of serious failures regarding forced labour, IUU fishing, or food safety, with mandatory controls and audits.
Lastly, the commission needs to strengthen traceability and control requirements, ensuring full transparency of supply chains (vessels, processing facilities, catch certificates, transshipment data).
