Sea Freight from China to Bekasi
China → Bekasi · via CGK air / Tanjung Priok sea · clearance by Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai)
Freight from China into Bekasi clears through CGK air / Tanjung Priok sea. Bekasi is the largest industrial estate belt east of Jakarta, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
The clearing authority is Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai). Historical dwell on this gateway is around 4–10 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.
What the routing looks like in practice
Indonesia is the most paperwork-heavy market in ASEAN. The USD 3 de-minimis means practically every shipment is dutiable, and Permendag import restrictions cover exactly the categories most China buyers ship — textiles, footwear, electronics, toys and cosmetics. Plan the license position before booking, not after arrival.
| Sea gateways used | Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), Belawan (Medan) |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 6–11 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Bekasi | CGK air / Tanjung Priok sea |
| Inland leg to Bekasi | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 4–10 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Import duty and tax position for Bekasi
Imports into Indonesia are cleared by Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai). The headline position is: VAT 11%; duty 0–150%, with a 7.5% flat rate applied to many consumer parcels, plus income-tax prepayment (PPh) of 0.5–10%. The de-minimis threshold is USD 3 FOB — one of the lowest thresholds in the world.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: SNI mandatory standard for a long list of products; import license (API-U/API-P) held by the consignee; Permendag restricted-goods rules for textiles, footwear, electronics and toys. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Indonesia: Goods on the lartas restricted list need a license issued before the vessel arrives; retro-fixing after arrival is expensive. Used goods are broadly banned. Cosmetics and food need BPOM registration held locally.
What to sort out before the cargo leaves China
- Check the de-minimis position (USD 3 FOB — one of the lowest thresholds in the world) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Confirm the consignee in Bekasi can act as importer of record — Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: SNI mandatory standard for a long list of products; import license (API-U/API-P) held by the consignee; Permendag restricted-goods rules for textiles, footwear, electronics and toys.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Bekasi take?
China to the Indonesia gateway is 6–11 calendar days. On top of that, allow 4–10 days of clearance with Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) and a same-day inland leg to Bekasi.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Bekasi?
Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) applies: VAT 11%; duty 0–150%, with a 7.5% flat rate applied to many consumer parcels, plus income-tax prepayment (PPh) of 0.5–10%. The de-minimis position is USD 3 FOB — one of the lowest thresholds in the world. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Bekasi.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Bekasi?
Yes. Delivery to a Bekasi address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Bekasi?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
When is the busiest time on the China–Indonesia lane?
Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Bekasi?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 6–11 calendar days by sea versus 3–5 business days by air to the Indonesia gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
Other delivery cities in Indonesia
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Indonesia change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) or your broker before you ship.
- Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai)
- Ministry of Trade (Kemendag)
- BPOM (food, drug and cosmetic registration)
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
Page data last reviewed: November 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Architectural Hardware Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Production Line Equipment General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Aerial Work Platform Construction, Mining & Material Handling
- Switchgear New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Automotive Electronics Automotive & Vehicles
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Pallet Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Conveyor Belts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Electronic Components Electronic Components & Semiconductors
- Computer Hardware Telecom, Computing & Data Centre
- Kitchen Appliances Home Appliances, HVAC & Commercial
- Home Decor Furniture & Home Products
Checking the Indonesia duty position yourself
Every duty and tax figure quoted on this page is our working estimate for planning, not a ruling. The binding rate for your consignment is whatever Indonesian Directorate General of Customs and Excise applies against your declared HS code on the day of entry, and their published guidance is the source to check before you commit stock.
Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
If this is your first shipment into Indonesia, the Indonesia Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Bekasi. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Bills of Lading 101 - What Is a Bill of Lading — Flexport. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.