US Seafood Import Monitoring (SIMP): Indonesia 2025 Guide

A practical, 2025-ready field‑to‑form mapping guide for U.S. importers and Indonesian processors moving blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus). Exactly which Indonesian documents map to each NOAA SIMP data element, how to enter them in ACE/IFTP without rejections, and answers to the questions we get every week.

If you import blue swimming crab from Indonesia, SIMP is where U.S. entries live or die. We file hundreds of SIMP records a year and work daily with mini-plants, collectors, and processors across Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra. This guide is the field-to-form mapping we wish every partner had on day one. It’s focused only on Indonesian blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus), 2025-ready, and tuned for ACE/IFTP.

The SIMP essentials for Indonesian blue swimming crab

Here’s the thing. SIMP doesn’t ask for fancy systems. It asks for clean, defensible facts tied to the specific product line you ship. For Portunus pelagicus, the core NOAA SIMP data elements and the Indonesian documents that satisfy them are:

Species and product description
- What SIMP wants: Accepted species name, product form, quantity/units, and HTS line match.
- What we use: Processing specs sheet, COA/labels, and commercial invoice. Put “Portunus pelagicus” and describe the actual form, e.g., “Pasteurized crab meat, lump/Claw, 454 g cans,” or “Frozen raw claw meat IQF.” Ensure the HTS heading fits the form (raw/frozen often 0306, prepared/pasteurized often 1605). If the ACE line and SIMP species group don’t align, you’ll get flagged.
Harvest event(s)
- What SIMP wants: Date(s) of harvest, FAO area, gear type, vessel ID(s), flag.
- What we use: KKP e-logbook printouts when available, mini-plant receiving logs, collector purchase invoices, and fishers’ landing receipts from TPI/PPI/PPP. This is your factual backbone.
Landing and first receiver
- What SIMP wants: Name of entity that first received the catch on land, landing date/location, and country.
- What we use: TPI auction slip or weighing note, “kwitansi pembelian” from collector to mini-plant, or “bukti pendaratan” issued by the landing site. Country is Indonesia.
Chain of custody to exporter
- What SIMP wants: A defensible link from harvest to the lot you’re shipping.
- What we use: Processor lot build sheet linking supplier receipts to final lot codes, internal transfer notes, and production yield records. Keep lot-to-receipt mapping tight. If a lot draws from multiple days or boats, show it clearly.

Practical takeaway: Build your SIMP packet around four items: fisher/collector receipts, landing proof, processor lot build sheet, and the final commercial documents. When those four sing the same tune, ACE approvals are uneventful.

Field-to-form mapping: exactly what to type in IFTP/ACE

Below is how we map common Indonesian documents to the IFTP portal SIMP fields and the ACE PGA message set.

Species: Enter Portunus pelagicus. In IFTP choose the Blue Crab commodity grouping that includes P. pelagicus. Avoid “blue swimmer crab” without the scientific name.
Product form: State pasteurized meat cut (jumbo/lump/claw/mix) or raw/frozen meat. Include pack size and units.
Harvest dates: Use the earliest and latest harvest dates feeding the specific processor lot. Source from e-logbook or the set of landing receipts. Don’t put production date here.
Harvest area (FAO):
- Java Sea, Karimata/Natuna, Makassar Strait, Bone Gulf: FAO 71.
- West Sumatra, Sunda Strait, Indian Ocean side of Java: FAO 57. When in doubt, map Indonesia’s WPPNRI to FAO. WPP 711–713 are FAO 71. WPP 571–572 are FAO 57.
Gear: Traps/Pots for trap-caught crab. Gillnet if netted. Don’t pick trawl or longline. Match what’s on the collector receipts or e-logbook.
Vessel ID and flag: Flag is Indonesia. For vessel ID, use the best available unique identifier. We commonly use one of:
- Pas Kecil or national vessel registration number (for <7 GT boats).
- SIPI number when license is vessel-specific.
- KUSUKA ID of the captain plus vessel name if no registration exists.
- Local registration plate recorded on landing receipts. Enter each vessel separately if multiple boats fed the lot.
Landing information: Landing site name and province from TPI/PPI/PPP documentation or receiving log, plus landing date range.
Transshipment: If small boats transferred to a collector/transport vessel at sea, add the collector vessel name/ID, date, and location. Use “bukti serah terima” or the collector’s log as evidence.
Quantity: Declare the SIMP quantity in the same unit you’ll list on the ACE line item. Keep a clean conversion trail from raw material to shipped weight.
Processing/lot: SIMP doesn’t require the lot field in IFTP, but include the processor lot code in the record set. We always reference it in the “comments/notes” or attach as supporting documentation.

Tip from experience: If you aggregate many tiny boats, IFTP lets you add multiple harvest events to one entry line. Don’t jam them into one line with a vague “various boats.” Add each vessel as a discrete record with its own date and the same gear/area.

ACE/IFTP workflow that avoids rejections

We’ve found the least painful path looks like this:

Create your SIMP record in IFTP before the customs entry. Log in, choose SIMP, create a new submission, and select Blue Crab group. Add each harvest event with vessel ID, dates, FAO area, and gear. Then add landing and first receiver.
Link to the ACE line. Enter the expected HTS code and the broker’s entry number. The IFTP submission should map 1:1 to an entry line. If your customs broker will file the PGA message set directly via ABI, share the complete SIMP data set so they mirror it.
Attach supporting docs. Upload the landing receipts bundle, lot build sheet, and any e-logbook exports. It’s not mandatory, but it saves queries.
Validate and submit. Use IFTP’s validation. Fix any red errors. For warnings, attach a note explaining edge cases, for example “12 non-motorized boats without registration. KUSUKA ID + village recorded.”
Monitor for NOAA queries. Respond with the exact page of the document that answers the question. Circle it. Don’t send a 70-page PDF with no pointers.

Answers to the questions we get every week

What qualifies as a vessel ID for Indonesian artisanal crab boats under SIMP?

Use a unique, government-recognized identifier where possible. Best options we’ve used and NOAA has accepted in practice: Pas Kecil registration number, SIPI linked to the vessel, or the skipper’s KUSUKA ID combined with vessel name. If a boat has truly no registration, pair KUSUKA ID with a consistent local identifier that appears on landing receipts. The key is uniqueness and repeatability.

Which FAO area should I select for blue swimming crab from the Java Sea or Makassar Strait?

Choose FAO 71. Java Sea, Makassar Strait, Bone Gulf, and most eastern Indonesian BSC grounds fall under FAO 71. Western Indian Ocean-facing grounds are FAO 57.

Can I combine multiple landing receipts into one SIMP harvest event for Indonesian crab?

Combine them into one SIMP submission, not one harvest line. Add each vessel as its own harvest record under the same entry line, sharing the same FAO area and gear. Use a date range across the receipts that fed the specific processor lot you’re shipping.

What Indonesian document proves first receiver/landing for SIMP crab shipments?

Any of these usually work: TPI auction slip or Tanda Bukti Lelang, landing site weighing note, collector-to-mini-plant purchase invoice, or a “bukti pendaratan” issued by PPI/PPP. Make sure the document shows landing date, site, species, quantity, and the party receiving the fish.

How do I report at-sea transshipment or collector vessels for Indonesian blue swimming crab?

Add a transshipment record in IFTP with collector vessel name/ID, date, and location. Attach the transfer note or the collector’s receiving log that lists the small boats and quantities. If there’s no at-sea transfer and boats land directly, mark “no transshipment.”

Which gear type should I choose for Indonesian blue swimming crab—trap/pot or gillnet—in SIMP?

Pick what was used. Most BSC in Indonesia is trap/pot. Some regions use gillnets seasonally. Match your evidence. Don’t guess. Gear inconsistencies are a top reason for queries.

Why does ACE reject my SIMP entry and how can I fix the common errors?

The big seven in our inbox:

Species group doesn’t match the HTS line. Align Blue Crab group with the actual HTS for your product form.
FAO area illegal for the country. Use 57 or 71 for Indonesia only.
Missing or non-unique vessel ID. Use Pas Kecil, SIPI, or KUSUKA+vessel name.
Gear not in list. Only use trap/pot or gillnet for BSC.
Dates out of logic. Harvest dates can’t be after landing or production.
Quantity/unit mismatch between SIMP and ACE. Keep units consistent or show the conversion.
Scientific name missing. Always include Portunus pelagicus.

If you hit a rejection, fix at the source data, not just the form. NOAA sees when the story doesn’t add up.

A pre-shipment SIMP checklist we actually use

Species and HTS agree on every document.
FAO area validated against WPPNRI map for each receipt.
Gear type confirmed from receipts or e-logbook.
Vessel list consolidated with IDs and dates.
Landing site and first receiver consistent across the bundle.
Processor lot sheet ties receipts to the export lot, with yields.
IFTP submission drafted, validated, and linked to the planned ACE line.

Our experience shows that when this checklist is clean, U.S. clearance is predictable. When one element is fuzzy, you burn two to three extra weeks on queries.

Need help mapping your Indonesian receipts to SIMP fields or want our one-page template with example entries for Portunus pelagicus? Send a note and we’ll share it. You can Contact us on whatsapp.

If you’re building mixed containers and want SIMP-ready whitefish to round out volume, our Indonesian IQF and portion lines are set up for the same documentation standards. You can browse options here: View our products.

Two closing thoughts from the floor. First, SIMP is a data discipline problem, not a software problem. Get the documents right where the fish changes hands. Second, NOAA reviewers are reasonable when you explain edge cases clearly and back them with Indonesian paperwork. That’s why we’ve built our system around receipts and lot control. It’s simple, and it works.