Finding Reliable Seafood Buyers: B2B Strategies for Indonesian Exporters

A practical 48-hour workflow Indonesian seafood exporters can use to vet new buyers, verify payment terms, and avoid first-order losses. Includes exact checks, a simple LC/D/P decision tree, red flags, and email scripts you can copy.

If vetting new buyers feels like guesswork, you are not alone. We have seen great products go to the wrong counterparty and turn into months of chasing payments. Here is the system our team uses to perform seafood buyer verification in 48 hours. It is practical, low cost, and built for first orders.

The 3 pillars of fast buyer verification

Identity and sanctions. Confirm the company exists and is not restricted. This is your OFAC sanctions check and company registry lookup.
Import capability and history. Prove they actually import seafood. Use a Panjiva importer search or similar trade databases.
Bankability and workable terms. Decide whether documents against payment (D/P) or a letter of credit at sight is safe for the first order, and verify any LC with real bank-to-bank confirmation.

Takeaway. If any pillar fails, do not quote final price or reserve production. Ask for proof first.

A 48-hour workflow you can copy

Hour 0–6. Identity, sanctions, and basic competency

Run an OFAC sanctions check on the company name and directors. Also screen the vessel or parent company if provided. Do the same against EU and UK lists. It takes 5 minutes and prevents headaches.
Company registry lookup. Check the buyer in their home registry. Examples. UK Companies House for UK importers. State-level business registry for US companies. European Business Registry or national registries for EU. Confirm registered name, status, incorporation date, and directors.
Domain and email hygiene. Does the person write from a corporate domain that matches the legal entity? Check domain age and company website. Free email domains and brand-new websites are risk signals.

What to request immediately. Certificate of incorporation, full legal name and address, tax ID or VAT, and an importer identifier if applicable. For EU buyers, ask for their EORI number and do an EORI number verification. For US buyers, request their FSVP importer details and DUNS. Ask for a bank letter or a recent trade reference contact.

Hour 6–24. Import history and trade references

Panjiva importer search or alternatives like ImportGenius and Datamyne. Look up the company name and see if they import seafood HS codes (03xx). Check frequency, origins, and volumes. Are there shipments from Indonesia or from similar products. If the trail is empty, ask why.
Trade references verification. Request two recent seafood references. A supplier in your category is best. Email or call and ask three questions. Did they pay on the agreed terms. Any LC or D/P discrepancies. Would you ship again.
Address match. Cross-check registered address with delivery addresses on historic bills of lading. If everything points to a “virtual office” and no warehouse footprint, dig deeper.

Copy-paste email template to request references. Subject. Trade reference request for [Buyer Name] Hello [Supplier Name], We are evaluating [Buyer Name] for a first order. Could you confirm. 1) Product you supplied and shipment month. 2) Agreed payment term and if payment was on time. 3) Any issues with discrepancies or returns. We appreciate any brief feedback and will keep it confidential. Best regards, [Your Name], Indonesia-Seafood

Hour 24–48. Payment term decision and LC verification

You have two levers. Transaction size and the buyer’s proof.

If they show consistent imports, clean registries, and credible references. Offer LC at sight or 30 percent deposit with balance D/P. For high-value sashimi items, we prefer LC at sight confirmed by a top-tier bank.
If they have little or no import history. Offer a small prepaid trial. For example, a mixed pallet of Mahi Mahi Portion (IQF) or Grouper Fillet (IQF) in standard specs. Keep it simple. If they perform, step up terms.
If they insist on long credit or unsecured D/A. Decline politely. Frozen seafood deteriorates while you argue over documents. That is not a risk you can hedge.

How to confirm an LC is real and workable

Ask for a draft LC before production. Review under UCP 600. Then do letter of credit verification by bank.

Validate the issuing bank and advising bank BICs. Check both are real, regulated banks. If unknown, ask your bank for a quick view of their risk list.
Confirm SWIFT MT700 issuance. Your advising bank should receive the authenticated MT700. Do not produce solely on a PDF draft. In our experience, this single step prevents 80 percent of LC issues.
Red flags in a transferable LC for seafood. Soft clauses like “subject to applicant’s acceptance” or “inspection by buyer-appointed company after arrival.” Unreasonable product specs or certificates you cannot produce. Latest shipment dates that are impossible. Availability by acceptance instead of sight when you agreed sight. Any requirement for third-party documents that do not exist in Indonesia.

Two bankers in separate modern offices verify trade documents over a secure digital link while, outside, a refrigerated container is being handled at a terminal and a pallet of iced fish waits.

If you need a second opinion on an LC draft, reach out via WhatsApp. We will tell you in plain language if it is workable.

Is D/P (CAD) safe for a first shipment

D/P can work if three conditions are true. The buyer has import history. The issuing bank is reputable and local courts enforce bills of exchange. The market accepts D/P for frozen fish. Japan, Singapore, and part of the EU can be workable. New relationships in West Africa or South Asia are usually not.

The risk. If the buyer refuses or delays payment, documents sit at the bank while your container racks up demurrage. Frozen cargo does not wait. For a first order, we use D/P only below a threshold value and only with a strong trail of seafood imports.

Your buyer due diligence checklist

Use this before you quote a final price.

OFAC sanctions check and EU or UK screening.
Company registry lookup with status and directors.
EORI number verification for EU buyers. FSVP importer and DUNS for US buyers. VAT where relevant.
Panjiva importer search to confirm seafood import history.
Two trade references verification calls or emails.
LC draft review under UCP 600, or set prepaid or LC at sight.
Bank name, branch, and BIC verification. Your bank confirms MT700 for LC.
Match consignee and notify party details to real addresses and warehousing.

What to request from buyers. Simple scripts

Trade docs request. “Please share. 1) Certificate of incorporation. 2) EORI or VAT (EU) or FSVP importer and DUNS (US). 3) Registered address and warehouse/delivery address. 4) Two seafood trade references. 5) Preferred bank and contact. We can proceed to pricing upon receipt.”

LC draft request. “Kindly issue a draft LC for review before we schedule production. Availability at sight. Latest shipment and presentation dates aligned to our lead time. No soft clauses. No third-party certificates not available in Indonesia. Our bank will confirm upon MT700 receipt.”

Red flags that mean walk away

Buyer’s email uses free domains, no website, and pushes for urgency.
PO values far above normal market or outside their historic size on trade databases.
Transferable LC from an offshore bank you have never heard of.
D/P demanded with zero trade history and no references.
Request for unusual packaging or random certificates you cannot get here.
Name mismatch between the entity in the registry and the consignee on the PO.

A note on recent changes

Banks have tightened LC compliance in 2024–2025. Expect closer document checks and slower reimbursements when data is sloppy. Build a 3–5 day buffer into your presentation timeline.
The EU’s ICS2 Release 3 has raised the bar on advance cargo information. Consignee and HS data must be clean before loading. That makes verifying buyer identifiers, like EORI and addresses, even more critical.
Sanctions lists have expanded. Always rescreen before issuing the final invoice and at document presentation.

How we align products to safe first orders

For high-spec raw items like Yellowfin Saku (Sushi Grade) or Bigeye Steak, we recommend LC at sight or a small prepaid trial. For cooked-use fillets and portions such as Sweetlip Fillet (IQF) or Mahi Mahi Fillet, a prepaid sample pallet can validate the relationship with low risk. Once a buyer proves performance, we can scale to mixed-spec containers. If you need examples of trial-ready SKUs, you can also View our products.

Bottom line and next steps

Here is the thing. Verifying a new seafood buyer is not about trusting your gut. It is a checklist you can run in 48 hours. Screen sanctions. Confirm the company exists. Prove they import seafood. Decide payment terms with a simple LC or CAD logic. Get the bank to authenticate the MT700 before you produce. If any step feels off, reset or walk away.

Use the scripts above to request proof. Quote final pricing only after verification. Your margin will thank you because the best deal is the one you actually collect.