Indonesian Seafood EU TRACES & CHED-P: 2025 Complete Guide

A field-tested, step-by-step mapping guide for completing CHED-P in TRACES NT for Indonesian fishery products. Includes exact box-by-box mapping from the Indonesian Health Certificate, a worked shrimp example, deadlines, and the small details BCPs really check.

We’ve spent years shepherding Indonesian seafood through EU border control posts, and we know the difference between a smooth CHED-P and one that gets stuck for days. This is our 2025, boots-on-the-ground guide to completing TRACES NT CHED-P for Indonesian fishery products using the Indonesian Health Certificate and your shipping docs.

What CHED-P is really used for

CHED-P is the pre-notification and official entry document for products of animal origin, including fishery products. You submit Part I in TRACES NT before arrival at the EU border control post. The BCP vets Part II on arrival. Our focus here is practical: how to populate Part I efficiently and correctly for Indonesian seafood.

The three things BCPs check first

In our experience, BCP officers validate three items before anything else:

Box I.14 BCP selection and timing. Is the right BCP chosen and was pre-notification on time?
Box I.17 Documents. Does the Indonesian Health Certificate number and scan match the consignment details?
Box I.11 Place of origin versus I.31 product lines. Do the EU-approved establishment numbers align with the species and processing forms declared? Get those right and you’ve already reduced random delays by half.

Box-by-box: mapping the Indonesian Health Certificate to CHED-P

Below is how we consistently map fields. We’re referencing TRACES NT CHED-P Part I boxes.

I.1 Consignor. The Indonesian exporter shown on the invoice/HC.
I.5 Consignee. The EU receiver shown on the commercial docs.
I.6 Operator responsible for the consignment. The EU-based party who will interact with the BCP. Your customs broker can be listed here if they operate in TRACES and accept the role.
I.7 Country of origin. Indonesia.
I.9 Country of dispatch. Indonesia.
I.11 Place(s) of origin. Add each Indonesian EU-approved establishment involved. Use the exact approval number printed on the Indonesian Health Certificate (format usually “ID-XXX” or “ID-XXXX”). If multiple plants packed/processed product, list them all.
I.14 Border control post. Choose the first EU point of entry where the reefer lands or tranships. For a sea freight to the Netherlands, pick the specific Rotterdam BCP handling fishery products.
I.15–I.16 Means of transport/Transport ID. Sea. Enter vessel name and voyage number if available.
I.17 Documents. Add “Health certificate” with the exact HC number and date. Upload a color scan under attachments. Also add “Bill of lading,” invoice, and packing list references. If relevant, attach the IUU catch certificate here as “Other document” as well (see Q&A below on CATCH).
I.18 Description of commodity. Short human-readable description, e.g., “Frozen vannamei shrimp, peeled and deveined, IQF.”
I.19 Commodity code (CN). Use the appropriate CN for your product. For frozen shrimps and prawns, you’ll be under 0306.17, with further digits depending on presentation. For tuna loins and fillets, you’ll be under 0304. Confirm subheadings in TARIC to match whether the product is peeled, breaded, skin-on, etc.
I.20 Quantity. Net weight by total consignment.
I.21 Temperature. Frozen or chilled. Match the product state and health cert.
I.22 No. of packages. Carton count.
I.23 Container number/Seal number. Enter each reefer container and its seal number exactly as on the BL and packing list. Multiple containers can be listed with matching seal numbers.
I.24 Type of packaging. Cartons, master cases, vacuum packs, etc.
I.31 Identification of commodities. This is where you add the detail that convinces the BCP officer. For each line, include:
- Species common and scientific name (e.g., vannamei, Litopenaeus vannamei; grouper, Epinephelus spp; yellowfin, Thunnus albacares).
- Nature of commodity (fillet, loin, steak, whole cleaned, portions), presentation (skin-on/skinless, boneless), and process (IQF/IVP/IWP, block frozen).
- Production lot/batch if available.
- EU establishment approval number associated with that line when different plants handled different products.
- Net weight per line and number of packages.

Reality check. Part II is for the BCP. Don’t try to pre-fill it and don’t contradict your own Part I with stray attachments.

Worked example: frozen vannamei shrimp

Use this as a template for your TRACES entry when importing Indonesian vannamei.

I.1 Consignor. PT Example Seafood Indonesia.
I.5 Consignee. EU Seafood Import Ltd.
I.6 Operator responsible. BrokerCo Netherlands BV (if your broker is handling it).
I.7/9. Indonesia for both origin and dispatch.
I.11 Place of origin. Establishment “PT ColdChain Nusantara,” approval ID-1234 (must match the Health Certificate).
I.14 BCP. Rotterdam – fishery products BCP handling reefers.
I.15–I.16 Means of transport. Sea. Vessel “MV Ocean Star V.087E.”
I.17 Documents. Health Certificate No. 0123/IKAN/2025. Bill of Lading ABCD123456. Upload color scan of the HC, BL, invoice, packing list, and temp recorder file if you have it.
I.18 Description. Frozen vannamei shrimp, PD, IQF.
I.19 CN code. 0306.17.xxxx based on peeled state. Confirm exact TARIC subheading.
I.20 Quantity. 27,000 kg net.
I.21 Temperature. Frozen.
I.22 Packages. 2,700 cartons.
I.23 Container/Seal. TGBU1234567 / S123456. TGBU7654321 / S765432.
I.24 Packaging. Cartons, inner IVP packs.
I.31 Identification lines. “Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Peeled and deveined, IQF. Size 26/30. Packed 10x1 kg per carton. Net 13,500 kg. 1,350 cartons. Production lots VN-2501 to VN-2503. Establishment ID-1234.” Duplicate for second container if lots differ.

If you’re mapping white fish from Indonesia, structure it the same way. For example, Grouper Fillet (IQF) or Sweetlip Fillet (IQF) lines should list Epinephelus spp or Diagramma labiosum as scientific names, the cut (skinless/boneless), and the establishment number appearing on the Indonesian Health Certificate. For shrimp products, our Frozen Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei & Wild Caught) specs correspond neatly to I.31 descriptors.

Practical Q&A from the BCP front line

Where do I put the Indonesian Health Certificate number on the CHED-P?

Box I.17 “Documents.” Choose “Health certificate,” enter the number and date exactly as printed, and attach the scan.

Do I have to upload a scan of the Indonesian health certificate or is the number enough in TRACES NT?

Upload the scan. The number alone can trigger holds. We’ve seen several BCPs in NL, BE, and FR refuse pre-checks without a legible color scan attached.

Which CHED-P field takes the EU-approved establishment number from the Indonesian certificate?

Enter it in I.11 “Place of origin.” Also reflect it line-by-line in I.31 when multiple plants are involved. Use the exact EU approval number format from the HC.

How early do I need to pre-notify the CHED-P for a reefer shipment arriving by sea?

At least one working day before the consignment arrives at the BCP. Some posts set stricter cut-offs (for example, 24–48 hours). Always check the specific BCP’s published deadlines on the day you book the slot.

Can my customs broker act as the Operator Responsible for the Consignment in TRACES?

Yes. As long as they’re registered in TRACES and agree to be the point of contact. We often list the broker in I.6 because they’re the ones answering the BCP’s phone at 07:00.

Where do I enter the reefer container and seal number on the CHED-P?

Box I.23. List each container with its corresponding seal. If there are multiple containers, add them all. If the shipment will arrive in separate lots or dates, consider separate CHED-Ps per container to avoid partial holdups.

If the product is wild-caught, should I attach the IUU catch certificate to the CHED-P submission?

Yes, upload it under I.17/attachments as “Other document,” unless your Member State requires processing in the EU CATCH portal first. If CATCH is used, include the CATCH reference in “Additional information” so the BCP can cross-check.

Common mistakes that stall Indonesian seafood at the BCP

Establishment mismatch. I.11 approval number does not match the HC or the product lines in I.31. Fix by copying the number exactly from the HC and aligning it to each line.
Wrong CN code granularity. The subheading doesn’t match presentation (skin-on vs skinless, peeled vs unpeeled). Confirm TARIC before submission.
Missing attachments. HC scan, BL, and packing list not uploaded. Officers won’t hunt for them.
Wrong BCP or late pre-notification. Pick the actual port of entry and respect their cut-off.
Seal number typos. A single digit off and you’ll get a query. Cross-check against BL and the reefer manifest.

Quick pre-arrival checklist

CHED-P Part I submitted in TRACES NT minimum one working day before ETA.
I.11 establishments and I.31 lines mirror the Health Certificate exactly.
I.19 CN codes verified in TARIC for the declared presentation.
I.23 includes correct container and seal numbers for all containers.
Attachments uploaded: Indonesian Health Certificate (color), BL, invoice, packing list, IUU catch certificate where applicable.
Broker listed in I.6 and ready to answer BCP calls.

When to adapt this advice

Consolidations with staggered arrivals. One CHED-P can cover multiple containers arriving together. If they arrive on different dates or vessels, file separate CHED-Ps.
Transshipment via another EU port. If you ship via Antwerp to final delivery in France, choose the Antwerp BCP in I.14. If the BCP channels or splits the load after official controls, they can create CHED-D records for follow-up consignments.
Product variety. For multi-species loads, create clear I.31 lines by species. For tuna items like Bigeye Loin or Yellowfin Steak, double-check the CN under 0304 and include the scientific names and sashimi-grade handling only if true.

If you want us to sanity-check your draft CHED-P against your Indonesian Health Certificate and shipping pack, Contact us on whatsapp. We can usually spot the three or four details that cause 90% of BCP queries.

Curious about product specs that map cleanly to CHED-P lines and reduce back-and-forth? View our products. We build our specs to line up with TRACES fields so your pre-notification is faster and cleaner.

Takeaway. Fill Part I thoughtfully, mirror the Indonesian Health Certificate everywhere it matters, and upload the critical scans. That’s the boring, reliable way your container gets released on time. And boring is exactly what you want at a BCP.