US SIMP for Indonesian Seafood: 2026 Complete Guide

A practical, field-by-field guide to filing US SIMP for Indonesian blue swimming crab in 2026. How to translate SIPI licenses, e-logbooks, landing notes, and plant records into NOAA SIMP Key Data Elements, avoid common holds, and pass audits.

If you import Indonesian blue swimming crab into the US, SIMP probably isn’t your favorite part of the job. We get it. Between small-boat landings, middlemen, miniplants, and reprocessing, getting clean Key Data Elements into ACE isn’t trivial. The good news is that once you map Indonesian paperwork to SIMP the right way, holds drop and audits become routine instead of scary. Here’s the exact playbook we use.

What’s SIMP asking for in 2026?

SIMP hasn’t changed its core for crab. You still need to file an ACE/NMFS message set with Key Data Elements that document the who, what, where, when, and how of harvest, plus a traceable chain from landing to the US importer. Enforcement attention has tightened around three areas in the last 6–12 months: vessel identifiers for small boats, FAO area alignment with ports, and mixed-lot traceability at plants. So tighten those.

Quick reminders:

• Importer must hold a valid NOAA IFTP and include it in the entry.
• SIMP applies regardless of HS chapter (fresh/frozen or prepared crab meat). If it’s a covered species, it’s in scope.
• Your documentation has to substantiate the ACE data. Keep it organized and available.

SIMP for Blue Swimming Crab: the essentials

• Species. Blue swimming crab. Scientific name: Portunus pelagicus. Common name: Blue swimming crab.
• Area of harvest. FAO Major Fishing Area 71. If you want to be precise, note sub-areas in your internal records (Java Sea, Makassar Strait), but ACE requires the FAO area.
• Gear type. Pot/Trap for collapsible traps. Gillnet if landed by set or drift net. Don’t guess.
• Dates. Date(s) of harvest, not just landing. Use a range if multiple days.
• Vessel and flag. Flag State is Indonesia. Vessel identifier must be traceable to a real boat.
• First receiver. The first entity that takes ownership on land. Often a collector or miniplant, not the processor.
• Chain of custody. Every transfer from first receiver to US importer with lot links.

Field-by-field mapping: Indonesian documents to SIMP KDEs

Below is how we consistently translate Indonesian records into the ACE message set. This is the part that clears holds.

1. Species identification

• SIMP KDE: Scientific name and common name.
• Indonesia docs: Plant intake sheet, production lot record, purchase receipt from collector.
• What to enter: “Portunus pelagicus” and “blue swimming crab.” Avoid local trade names in ACE.

2. Harvest area

• SIMP KDE: FAO area.
• Indonesia docs: Landing note with port or district, e-logbook location, collector purchase receipt referencing village/port.
• What to enter: FAO 71. Internally map “Java Sea,” “Makassar Strait,” etc. Cross-check that the landing port actually sits within FAO 71. It sounds obvious, but we’ve seen holds triggered by ports mis-keyed into FAO 57/34 by habit.

3. Gear type

• SIMP KDE: Gear description/code.
• Indonesia docs: SIPI license notes gear, e-logbook gear, fisher declaration on purchase slip.
• What to enter: Pot/Trap for collapsible crab traps. Gillnet if applicable. If your broker needs a code, choose the NMFS gear code for Pot/Trap or Gillnet offered in their dropdown. Don’t use Trawl unless you have proof.

4. Vessel identifier and flag

• SIMP KDE: Vessel name and unique ID, Flag State.
• Indonesia docs: SIPI (Surat Izin Penangkapan Ikan) for the capture vessel, vessel registration (Pas Kecil/Pas Besar), and sometimes fisher card for <5 GT boats. For carrier vessels, SIKPI exists but isn’t your harvest vessel ID.
• What to enter: Vessel name + Indonesian registration number from Pas Kecil/Pas Besar. If a very small boat lacks formal registration, use the vessel name plus SIPI number and district. Note: SIKPI is for carrier vessels. Only add a carrier if there was at-sea transshipment.

5. Dates of harvest and landing

• SIMP KDE: Harvest date(s). Landing date.
• Indonesia docs: E-logbook dates, landing note dates, first-sale receipt date.
• What to enter: The actual fishing day(s) as harvest dates. If landings spanned two days, use a range. Landing date is when product hits shore. Don’t swap them. NOAA checks for mismatches.

6. First receiver

• SIMP KDE: First receiving entity on land.
• Indonesia docs: First-sale/purchase receipt with the buyer’s name, address, and tax ID if available.
• What to enter: The collector or miniplant that bought directly from vessels. If the processor buys directly, the processor is first receiver.

7. Chain of custody (all transfers)

• SIMP KDE: Every custody change from first receiver to importer.
• Indonesia docs: Transfer notes, plant intake logs with lot codes, production batch records, internal movement forms between miniplant and main plant, export packing list, commercial invoice, bill of lading.
• What to enter: A clean sequence like: Vessel → First Receiver → Miniplant → Processor → Exporter → US Importer. Each hop must reference the previous lot or document number.

8. Product form and quantity

• SIMP KDE: Product form, unit, net weight/quantity.
• Indonesia docs: Plant production records, packing list, export docs.
• What to enter: “Cooked, picked, pasteurized crab meat” with the correct net weight in KG. Match ACE to commercial docs.

9. Importer permit

• SIMP KDE: IFTP number.
• US docs: Active NOAA IFTP for the importer of record.
• What to enter: Current IFTP number. Expired permits are an instant problem.

Example ACE entry for one mixed lot

Scenario: Three small boats landed in Rembang, Central Java on April 3–4. All used collapsible traps, sold to Collector A, then steamed and picked at Miniplant B, consolidated and pasteurized at Processor C.

• Species: Portunus pelagicus. Blue swimming crab.
• FAO area: 71. Sub-area note (internal): Java Sea.
• Gear: Pot/Trap.
• Flag state: Indonesia.
• Harvest dates: 2026-04-03 to 2026-04-04.
• Vessels: KM Sinar Jaya 2 (Pas Kecil No. 12345/Semarang). KM Harapan 7 (Pas Kecil No. 67890/Pati). KM Mina Laut (Pas Besar No. 11223/Surabaya).
• Landing port/date: Rembang Fishing Port. 2026-04-04.
• First receiver: CV Laut Sejati. Purchase receipts 045/046/047-IV-2026.
• Chain of custody: CV Laut Sejati → Miniplant B (COC-MLB-0405) → Processor C Lot PC-0406-JS → Export Pack INV-8899.
• Product form/qty: Pasteurized crab meat, 1,800 KG net.
• Importer permit: IFTP US-456789.
• Transshipment: No at-sea transshipment.

We’ve filed dozens of entries like this. The key is listing multiple vessels within the same harvest event if all KDEs match and your paperwork ties them together. If gear or FAO area differs, create separate harvest events within the same entry.

Practical questions we get all the time

Which Indonesian documents can I use as the SIMP vessel identifier for small crab boats?

Use the vessel name with its registration (Pas Kecil or Pas Besar). Pair it with the SIPI number when available. For <5 GT boats with limited paperwork, we’ve passed audits by combining the vessel name, local registration or fisher ID, and the first-sale receipt that ties that boat to the lot. Keep photo scans. They help.

What FAO area should I pick for Java Sea or Makassar Strait blue swimming crab?

FAO 71 for both. If your broker allows a sub-field, note “Java Sea” or “Makassar Strait” to improve audit clarity. Cross-check that your landing port sits within FAO 71.

How do I record multiple village landings that are consolidated before processing under SIMP?

If all KDEs align (species, FAO 71, gear Pot/Trap, harvest date range within a few days), you can consolidate as one harvest event listing multiple vessels. If any KDE differs, split harvest events. The paperwork must link every vessel to the first receiver and onward.

If my processor mixes lots from different harvest days, how do I keep SIMP traceability?

Either keep separate sublots through pasteurization or declare a mixed harvest with a date range covering all days. In both cases, maintain a bridging document showing which sublots and dates rolled up into the finished lot. Auditors look for that bridging step.

What gear type should I select in SIMP for collapsible crab traps or gillnets?

• Collapsible crab traps: Pot/Trap.
• Gillnets: Gillnet (set or drift, as appropriate). If your system uses codes, select the NMFS gear code provided for those two. Avoid “Trawl” unless it’s actually trawled crab, which is rare for Indonesian BSC.

Do I need to enter transshipment details for crab bought through collectors (middlemen)?

Not usually. Middlemen and miniplants are on-land first receivers, not at-sea transshipments. Mark transshipment as “No” unless product was transferred vessel-to-vessel at sea.

What documents should I keep ready for a NOAA SIMP audit on Indonesian crab?

• Vessel docs: SIPI, Pas Kecil/Pas Besar. E-logbook pages or captains’ catch notes.
• Landing/first sale: Landing notes, purchase receipts with boat name, date, weight.
• Chain of custody: Transfer notes from collector to miniplant to processor, plant intake logs with lot IDs.
• Production: Steaming/picking records, pasteurization batch sheets, finished lot specs.
• Export: Packing list, invoice, health certificate, bill of lading. Keep them linked by lot code. We use a single master trace sheet per export lot to show the whole chain at a glance. Auditors love it because it saves time.

How to avoid SIMP holds on Indonesian crab shipments

• Align names everywhere. Vessel name and registration must match across receipts and logs. One typo can trigger a query.
• Don’t substitute landing date for harvest date. If you don’t know the exact harvest day for a boat that fishes and lands same-day, use that day. Otherwise, use a range that your receipts support.
• Declare gear consistently. If a collector buys both trap and gillnet crab, don’t mix them into one harvest event.
• Keep FAO 71 clean. Don’t overcomplicate with extra area codes. Add sub-area notes internally only.
• IFTP validity. Verify before every entry. We’ve seen imports delayed over expired permits.

In our experience, 3 out of 5 SIMP holds come from simple mismatches that a 10-minute pre-file check would catch. Build that into your SOP.

When this guidance applies (and when it doesn’t)

This guide fits wild-caught Indonesian blue swimming crab landed by small to mid-size boats, sold through collectors/miniplants, then pasteurized at export plants. If you’re dealing with live crab air shipments, at-sea motherships, or cross-border landings, you’ll need a few extra steps. Same if you reprocess in a second country before the US. The principles hold, but the chain-of-custody expands.

We run SIMP-grade traceability across other covered species too, like our grouper and snapper lines. If you’re aligning multi-species programs, the same discipline we apply to Grouper Fillet (IQF) and Red Snapper Portion (WGGS / Fillet) will keep your crab paperwork audit-ready.

Final takeaways you can use this week

• Build a one-page trace sheet per export lot that lists vessels, receipts, lot bridges, and documents. Make it the cover page for your audit file.
• Pre-validate vessel identifiers against SIPI/Pas Kecil and match them to purchase receipts before ACE filing.
• Split harvest events whenever gear, FAO area, or harvest dates don’t align.

If you want a quick look at your current SIMP package, we’re happy to review a redacted set and flag gaps. Need help mapping your ACE message set from Indonesian paperwork? Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll share the template we use internally. Or browse what we produce and how we standardize specs across species: View our products.