Seafood
Indonesian dried seaweed
Indonesia is one of the largest producers of farmed red seaweed, grown on lines in shallow water and sun-dried on shore. Two species carry the trade: Eucheuma cottonii for kappa carrageenan and Eucheuma spinosum for iota. Price turns on moisture and on how much sand came with it.
How it leaves the country.
- Cottonii
- Kappaphycus alvarezii in the botanical literature, cottonii in the trade. The kappa carrageenan feedstock and the bulk of the crop.1
- Spinosum
- Eucheuma denticulatum, sold for iota carrageenan. A different gel and a different buyer.1
- Raw dried or processed
- Most of what leaves Indonesia is raw dried seaweed for processing elsewhere. Semi-refined and refined carrageenan are separate trades with separate specifications.
How it is graded.
This is a commodity priced on analysis. Moisture, impurities and carrageenan yield are the three numbers, and a lot that looks the same as another can be worth materially less on all three.
- What to specify
- Species, moisture, foreign matter, carrageenan yield, gel strength, and the sampling method the analysis will use.
- Where the money leaks
- Water and sand. Seaweed dried short of target and cleaned carelessly carries weight you paid for and cannot use.
- Quality reference
- Studies of Indonesian material assess moisture, ash and yield against FAO reference values, which is the frame a laboratory will work in.1
How it is packed.
- Presentation
- Compressed bales, sometimes in polypropylene bags. Bale weight and how tightly it was pressed both affect what arrives.
- The moisture problem
- A bale that goes into a container above target keeps working. It arrives heavier, hotter and sometimes mouldy, so the pre-loading check matters more here than the certificate does.
Where it grows.
South Sulawesi
Sulawesi
The largest farming area in the country, with collection and drying built around it.
East Nusa Tenggara
Nusa Tenggara
Extensive shallow-water farming across many small islands, and highly seasonal supply.
West Nusa Tenggara
Nusa Tenggara
A second Nusa Tenggara base, closer to the Bali and Surabaya export routes.
Maluku
Maluku
Clean water and good growing conditions, with longer and more expensive logistics.
Choosing between this and something else.
Documentation, where applicable.
- Certificate of analysis
- Moisture, foreign matter and carrageenan yield on the lot that shipped. On a product priced by analysis, this is the document that decides the invoice.
- Export permit check
- Confirm whether raw dried seaweed may be exported in the form you want it. Indonesia regulates this trade and the scope has been revised before.1
- Phytosanitary or health certificate
- Which one applies depends on how the destination classifies dried seaweed. Settle it with your customs broker before the first order.
- Certificate of origin
- Which form applies depends on the destination and on the preference scheme in force between it and Indonesia.
Questions buyers ask.
Cottonii or spinosum?
They yield different carrageenans. Cottonii gives kappa, which sets firm and brittle. Spinosum gives iota, which sets soft and elastic. Which one you need is decided by the application, and substituting one for the other does not work.
Why do two lots at the same price perform differently?
Moisture and impurities. Seaweed is bought by weight and used by yield, so a wetter, sandier bale costs the same and delivers less. This is why the analysis matters more on this product than on almost anything else Indonesia ships.
Is supply reliable through the year?
It is seasonal and weather-dependent, and the smaller island origins swing hardest. For a continuous programme it is worth spreading across more than one growing area rather than committing everything to the cheapest one.
What does your service cost?
Five per cent of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory. A factory audit starts at $250 depending on location. We work with orders from $10,000 per shipment.
Worth reading.
Tell us what you need.
Give us the specification and the destination port. We come back with producer options and an indicative price. Our fee is 5 % of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory.
Sources
- 1Carrageenan quality of Eucheuma cottonii and spinosum, and Indonesian export permit rules. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. Checked 3 August 2026.