A spec-driven guide to 425g tomato-sauce sardines from Indonesia. What moves the FOB price, how to brief canneries for apples-to-apples quotes, realistic 2025 ranges, and the cost impact of EOE lids, MSC, fish size, Brix, and more.
If you’ve ever collected five “FOB Surabaya” quotes for 425g sardines and still couldn’t compare them, you’re not alone. Most price gaps come from hidden spec differences. In our experience, once buyers make the spec explicit, the spread shrinks fast and the negotiation gets real.
Here’s a practical, 2025-ready guide to Indonesian private label sardines in 425g. It’s spec-driven, with exact levers that move the FOB price and by how much. Use the template below to brief factories and get apples-to-apples quotes on the first try.
The 2025 baseline: what a “standard” 425g tomato-sauce sardine looks like
When we say “standard,” we’re talking about the most common, value-focused spec for Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Your market may differ, but this gives us a clean starting point.
- Pack: 425g net weight, tomato sauce, paper label, plain end lid
- Drained weight: 200–230 g (we typically see 210–220 g for value SKUs)
- Fish size grade: 5–8 pieces per can (M/L). Species are Indonesian Sardinella spp.
- Sauce Brix: 14–16 (single-strength paste base)
- Can: 401×411 tinplate, 0.18 mm body, ETP lacquered interior, non-BPA-NI lacquer optional
- Outer carton: 24×425g, brown 5-ply, single color print
- Certification: Factory HACCP + Halal. No MSC segregation
- Port: FOB Surabaya
Typical 2025 FOB Surabaya price range for this baseline: USD 13.80–15.40 per carton of 24. The lower end appears when raw fish landings are strong and tomato paste dips. The upper end shows up when paste and tinplate tighten, or if you ask for higher drained weight.
What actually moves the price (and by how much)
We’ll stick to realistic deltas we’ve seen in the last six months. These are directional, but close enough for planning.
- Easy-open lid (EOE) vs plain end. Adds about USD 0.035–0.055 per can. Call it USD 0.85–1.30 per carton.
- Tomato sauce Brix level. Moving from 14 to 18 Brix adds USD 0.005–0.02 per can depending on paste market. That’s USD 0.12–0.48 per carton. Paste has stayed volatile, so expect this to swing month-to-month.
- Fish size grade (count per can). Larger fish cost more and affect yield. Upgrading from 5–8 count to 3–5 count typically adds USD 0.02–0.05 per can. That’s USD 0.48–1.20 per carton. Going to XL (2–3 count) can add even more.
- Oil vs tomato sauce. Oil-packed 425g sardines cost materially more. Expect +USD 0.08–0.15 per can. So USD 1.92–3.60 per carton versus tomato sauce. Oil quality and origin matter here.
- Drained weight. Every extra 10 g of drained weight usually adds USD 0.006–0.012 per can, so USD 0.14–0.29 per carton. This is one of the most frequently overlooked drivers.
- MSC certification. When MSC-eligible raw is available, budget an MSC premium and segregation cost. In practice we’ve seen +USD 0.25–0.60 per carton. Availability can be the bigger constraint.
- Tinplate thickness and lacquer. Moving 0.18 mm to 0.20 mm adds roughly USD 0.01–0.015 per can. That’s USD 0.24–0.36 per carton. BPA-NI lacquer can add USD 0.005–0.01 per can depending on supply.
- Label type. Litho-printed can is cleaner on shelf but demands higher MOQs and can add USD 0.02–0.05 per can vs paper. That’s USD 0.48–1.20 per carton, partly offset by lower labeling labor.
- Outer carton spec. Heavy-duty board and multi-color print can add USD 0.15–0.40 per carton.
Quick example. Baseline USD 14.60/case. Add EOE (+1.05), higher Brix (+0.24), 3–5 count fish (+0.72), 0.20 mm can (+0.30), and MSC (+0.45). New target: USD 17.36 FOB Surabaya. That’s a realistic, defensible build-up.
The spec template you can email to factories for apples-to-apples quotes
Copy, paste, and fill the blanks. If you only do one thing from this article, make it this.
- Product: Sardines in Tomato Sauce, 425 g net
- Drained weight: ____ g (target 210–230 g)
- Fish size grade: – pieces per can (L/M/XL). Species: Sardinella spp preferred
- Sauce Brix at 20°C: ____ (14–18 typical)
- Salt/sodium target: ____% (specify if low-sodium required)
- Can: 401×411, tinplate thickness ____ mm; lacquer: standard / BPA-NI
- Lid: Plain end / EOE
- Label: Paper wrap / Litho can. Colors: ____
- Outer carton: 24×425 g, board spec ____ ply, print colors ____
- Certifications: HACCP, Halal mandatory. MSC required? Yes/No
- Artwork: Supplier to provide dielines. Buyer provides final AI/PDF
- Packing: 24 cans per carton, ____ cartons per 20'/40'
- Port & Incoterm: FOB Surabaya
- Payment: ____
- Requested lead time from PO: ____ weeks
- Samples: 6 cans pre-production, 12 cans production retain for lab
Need help tuning this to your brand or regulatory market? We’re happy to sanity-check specs and flag hidden cost traps. If that’s useful, Contact us on whatsapp. From here, let’s tackle the most common questions we get.
What specs do canneries need to quote a 425g sardines FOB price?
You’ll get faster, cleaner pricing when you specify: net and drained weight, fish count range, sauce Brix, lid type, can thickness and lacquer, label type, carton board, certifications, and port. Skip any one of these and you’ll see “subject to” pricing. Your procurement time stretches, and so does your cost.
How does fish size grade change the price per carton?
Think of fish grade as a double whammy. Larger fish are pricier at landing and they change how many pieces you can reasonably fit to hit your drained weight. Moving from 5–8 to 3–5 count adds roughly USD 0.48–1.20 per carton. Consistency also matters. We’ve found that factories with better raw sorting hit the declared count more tightly and reduce rework, which stabilizes FOB quotes over repeat orders.
Is tomato sauce cheaper than oil, and by how much?
Yes. Oil remains the premium pack. For 425g, expect tomato sauce to be cheaper by USD 1.92–3.60 per carton versus oil, depending on oil type and origin. Tomato paste pricing has stayed elevated, but oil is still the higher-cost medium at today’s levels.
How much does an easy-open lid add?
EOE will add around USD 0.85–1.30 per carton. It’s a consumer win and usually worth it for retail brands. For purely price-driven tenders, some buyers still stick to plain end to shave cost.
What MOQs are typical per label/design in Indonesia?
- Paper label cans: 1,000–1,500 cartons per label is common, and split SKUs in a 40' can sometimes be arranged.
- Litho-printed cans: expect 3,000–5,000 cartons per label because of can-printing minimums.
- EOE lids can carry their own MOQs. Some factories combine purchases across buyers, but a safe working MOQ is 2,500+ cartons if you want EOE without surcharge.
Does MSC certification increase the FOB price, and what’s realistic?
When MSC raw material is available, budget +USD 0.25–0.60 per carton. The bigger variable is availability by season and fishery, plus segregation during production. You’ll want your factory’s MSC CoC certificate upfront and a forward look at raw fish planning.
What’s a realistic 2025 lead time for a first private label run?
For a first run, we’re seeing 6–9 weeks from PO to FOB. Rough breakdown we use internally:
- Artwork and approvals. 5–10 working days depending on your response time.
- Packaging procurement. 3–4 weeks for cans/lids/labels, longer if litho.
- Production and QA. 3–5 days including micro tests.
- Pre-shipment inspection and booking. 3–7 days. Port congestion can push this. Reorders without packaging changes can ship in 4–6 weeks, assuming raw fish and tomato paste are on hand.
2025 watch-outs that buyers often miss
Here’s the thing. The price you negotiate is only as good as your control of the moving pieces.
- Tomato paste volatility. Paste pricing has stayed choppy into 2025. If your brand promise is color and flavor, lock Brix and color specs and consider price-index clauses or shorter validity.
- Tinplate and EOE supply. We’ve seen sporadic surcharges tied to steel and EOE imports. If your timeline is tight, confirm on-hand packaging before you finalize a launch date.
- Drained weight creep. Many “great deals” we’re asked to match hide lower drained weights or looser count ranges. Fix both in your spec. Your consumer notices.
- Seasonality. Indonesian Sardinella landings fluctuate. Q1 and Q4 can be strong; shoulder months can tighten. If you buy continuously, spread POs rather than lump-sum buying in low-landing months.
Putting it together: a quick price-build playbook
Use a baseline and add deltas. That’s how we quote internally and how we advise buyers to compare factories.
- Start with baseline tomato pack at USD 13.80–15.40/case FOB Surabaya.
- Add or subtract your spec deltas:
- EOE: +0.85–1.30
- Brix shift: +0.12–0.48 per 14→18 Brix
- 3–5 count fish: +0.48–1.20
- 0.20 mm tinplate: +0.24–0.36
- BPA-NI lacquer: +0.12–0.24
- Outer carton upgrade: +0.15–0.40
- MSC: +0.25–0.60
- Confirm MOQs by label and packaging. Paper label if you need flexibility. Litho if you’re scaling and want shelf impact and cost per can down at volume.
- Time the market. If paste or raw fish spikes, split shipments or negotiate validity windows instead of pushing a factory into a bad position. It backfires.
If you’re also building out a frozen seafood range alongside shelf-stable, Indonesia is strong there too. For example, premium tuna and snapper SKUs travel well with sardines in mixed programs. You can browse options here: View our products. Different category, same cold-chain discipline.
We’ve tried to give you the numbers we actually use on the floor. Your brand, target market and quality bar will push you up or down the range, but now you can drive the conversation. And if you’d like a second set of eyes on your spec before it goes to three factories, just ping us on Contact us on whatsapp.