Commodity file 02 • Pelagic • Ex Surabaya, IDSUB
Skipjack
Tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis
- Origin
- Indonesia
- Catch area
- FAO 71
- Fishing ground
- WPP 714, 715, 716, 717
- HS code
- 0303.43 whole · 1604.14 cooked loin
- Load port
- Surabaya · IDSUB
- Export markets
- Japan · China · ASEAN · PNG
- Terms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
- Plant approval
- HACCP · KIPM
Pole-and-line and purse seine skipjack, the workhorse raw material for canneries, smokehouses and wet market repacking across Asia. We supply it whole round in block or IQF, and as pre-cooked loin for buyers who want to skip the cook line.
01 / Market names
What buyers call it
The same species trades under a different name in every port. If your enquiry uses the local name, we will quote against it.
| Market | Local name | Usual form bought |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Katsuo | Whole round, loin, katsuobushi stock |
| China | Jianyu | Whole round for canning |
| Philippines | Gulyasan, tulingan group | Whole round, wet market |
| Indonesia | Cakalang | Whole round, smoked |
| Vietnam | Cá ngừ vằn | Whole round, cannery |
| Thailand | Pla o | Whole round, cannery |
| Papua New Guinea | Skipjack | Whole round, cannery |
02 / Size grading
Sizes we grade to
Skipjack is bought on piece weight. Canneries usually want a tight band; wet market repackers take a wider spread at a lower price.
| Band | Piece weight | Pieces per 20 kg | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJ 300/500 | 300–500 g | 40–66 | Wet market, dried fish |
| SJ 500/1000 | 500 g – 1 kg | 20–40 | Wet market, smoking |
| SJ 1000/1800 | 1.0–1.8 kg | 11–20 | Cannery, loining |
| SJ 1800/3000 | 1.8–3.0 kg | 7–11 | Cannery, loining |
| SJ 3000 up | 3.0 kg and above | 6 and under | Loin, steak, foodservice |
Sizing tolerance is 5% by weight per carton. Mixed-size lots are cheaper per kilo and we will quote them if your line can handle the spread.
03 / Processing forms
Cuts and presentations
Most skipjack leaves as whole round. Cooked loin is available when the plant has cook capacity free, so give us four to six weeks of notice on that item.
WR
Whole round
Ungutted, as landed and brine frozen. The standard cannery and wet market form.
GG
Gilled and gutted
For buyers who want lower waste weight and a longer frozen shelf life.
LOIN RAW
Raw loin
Skinless boneless loin, dark meat off. Vacuum packed for foodservice.
LOIN CKD
Pre-cooked loin
Steam cooked, cleaned and refrozen. Ready for canning or pouch filling.
STEAK
Steak
Cross-cut from larger fish, bone in, to a fixed gram weight.
FLAKE
Flake and trim
Cook-line by-product for pet food and low-cost protein blends.
04 / Packing
Packing and glazing
| Presentation | Inner pack | Master carton | Glazing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole round | Bulk in poly liner | 20 kg carton or bulk in reefer | Nil |
| Whole round IQF | Loose IQF | 10 kg master | 5–10% |
| Raw loin | Vacuum pack | 10 kg master | Nil |
| Pre-cooked loin | Vacuum pack, 1–2 kg | 10 kg or 20 kg master | Nil |
| Steak | Interleaved film | 10 kg master | 10% |
Brine-frozen whole round carries a histamine risk if handled loosely, so we hold it under a chilled-to-frozen log from vessel to container. Several markets test histamine on arrival; we will show you the record before the container sails.
05 / Supply
Monthly capacity and MOQ
Monthly supply capacity
80–120 MT
Whole round. Cooked loin caps at roughly 20 MT per month because it shares the cook line with other species.
Minimum order quantity
1 × 20 ft
About 10–12 MT of whole round. Loin can move as an LCL consignment from 1,000 kg.
Peak season
May–Sep
A second, smaller run usually lands around November. Prices move sharply with landings, so index-linked contracts work better here.
Capacity is shared across all export markets and allocated per contract. Tell us your destination and monthly volume and we will confirm what we can commit before you place a first order.
06 / Shipping lanes
Out of Surabaya to your port
All shipments load at Surabaya, IDSUB, in pre-cooled reefer containers. Transit times below are indicative port-to-port and move with the carrier and the transhipment call.
| Destination | Port code | Transit | Routing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | SGSIN | 3–5 days | Direct |
| Port Klang | MYPKG | 4–7 days | Direct |
| Manila | PHMNL | 5–8 days | Direct or via SGSIN |
| Ho Chi Minh City | VNSGN | 6–9 days | Via SGSIN |
| Laem Chabang | THLCH | 7–11 days | Via SGSIN or MYPKG |
| Shanghai / Ningbo | CNSHA / CNNGB | 10–14 days | Via SGSIN |
| Tokyo / Yokohama | JPTYO / JPYOK | 12–17 days | Via SGSIN or CNSHA |
| Port Moresby | PGPOM | 10–15 days | Via SGSIN or AU hub |
Other ports are quoted on request. FOB Surabaya, CFR and CIF terms are all available; tell us which one you want the price on.
07 / Cold chain
Temperature from plant to discharge
Skipjack is histamine sensitive. It goes into brine or blast freezing within hours of landing and the chain never comes above −18°C after that, however long the lane.
−35°C
Blast freezer, core temperature
−25°C
Cold store holding
−18°C
Reefer setpoint in transit
−18°C
Arrival check at discharge
08 / Documents
What ships with the container
Every shipment leaves Surabaya with a full document set so your broker can lodge clearance without chasing us for paperwork.
- Health certificateIssued by BKIPM / KIPM, the Indonesian fish quarantine authority
- HACCP planThe processing plant operates under an approved HACCP programme
- Certificate of originForm D for ASEAN, Form E for China, Form AJ for Japan
- Catch documentationVessel list, catch certificate and traceability record per lot
- Packing list & invoiceLot number, net and gross weight, glazing % and carton count
- Bill of ladingReefer B/L with the temperature setpoint stated on its face
Import requirements by market
Clearance on the destination side is the importer's responsibility, but we will tell you up front what your market needs and issue documents to match.
| Market | Requirement | Handled by |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Import notification to MHLW under the Food Sanitation Act | Importer |
| China | Consignment via a GACC-registered establishment; importer filing | Both |
| Philippines | SPSIC issued by BFAR before the vessel arrives | Importer |
| Malaysia | Import permit through MAQIS / Department of Fisheries | Importer |
| Singapore | Import licence and consignment declaration to SFA | Importer |
| Thailand | Import permit from the Department of Fisheries | Importer |
| Vietnam | Quarantine registration with NAFIQPM | Importer |
| Papua New Guinea | Import permit from NAQIA | Importer |
Some markets require the exporting establishment to be listed before a first shipment can enter. Ask us which markets our plant is currently listed for — we would rather tell you at enquiry stage than after you have opened an L/C.
Ask for a price on skipjack
Send us the size grade, presentation, destination port and monthly volume you need. We reply with an FOB Surabaya or CFR price, the current stock position and the lead time to your first container.
WhatsApp +62 851-0148-6899