Customs
Documents You Need to Import Through Tanjung Priok
Most delays at Tanjung Priok are not caused by slow customs officers but by paperwork that is still incomplete when the vessel has already berthed. Every day a container waits at the terminal means storage charges and, once the free period runs out, demurrage owed to the shipping line. This article summarises the documents we ask importers for before the container arrives, so that the PIB (the import declaration) can be lodged early.
1. Documents from your overseas supplier
These documents are issued by the seller or the forwarder in the country of origin. Ask for draft copies as soon as the goods ship; do not wait for the originals to arrive by courier.
- Commercial Invoice. Names and addresses of the seller and buyer, description of the goods, quantity, unit price, currency and delivery terms (FOB, CIF and so on). The invoice value is the basis for the customs value.
- Packing List. A breakdown per package or per pallet: quantity, gross weight, net weight and dimensions. If the shipment is assigned to the red lane, the inspecting officer checks this document against the contents of the container.
- Bill of Lading (B/L) or Sea Waybill. Proof of ocean carriage from the shipping line. Make sure the consignee name matches the company name on your NIB (business identification number, which also serves as the importer licence API) exactly. A single word out of place can cause the system to reject the PIB.
- Certificate of Origin (COO, known locally as SKA). Not always mandatory, but for goods from China a Form E (ACFTA certificate of origin) can reduce import duty significantly. The Form E must be an original, issued before or shortly after the vessel departs.
- Insurance policy. Required when the delivery terms do not include insurance, because the customs value is calculated on a CIF basis.
- Technical documents such as an MSDS for chemicals, brochures or specifications for machinery, and quality certificates where a technical agency requires them.
2. The importer's registration documents
These only need to be prepared once and updated when something changes. Without them, a PIB cannot be lodged in your company's name.
- NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha) issued through the OSS licensing system, which already serves as your importer licence, either API-U (general importer) or API-P (producer importer). Make sure the KBLI business classification codes and the API type match the goods you import.
- Company NPWP (tax ID) and PKP (VAT-registered) status, if applicable.
- Customs access (registration in the customs system) that is still active. Importers that have been inactive for a long time can be blocked and must be reactivated before the first PIB.
- Power of attorney to the PPJK (licensed customs broker) stating that we act on your company's behalf in customs matters.
3. Permits for prohibited and restricted goods (lartas)
Some commodities may only be imported with a permit from a specific ministry or agency. The permit must be issued before the goods arrive, not after. Examples we handle regularly:
| Type of goods | Examples of permits required |
|---|---|
| Electronics, toys, certain textiles | Import Approval (PI) and Surveyor Report (LS) from the Ministry of Trade |
| Food, beverages, cosmetics, supplements | Distribution licence and SKI import certificate from BPOM (the food and drug agency) |
| Wood products, plants, animals and their derivatives | Quarantine certificate and health documents from the country of origin |
| Goods subject to mandatory SNI standards (steel, tyres, helmets, etc.) | SNI product certificate (SPPT-SNI) |
| Telecommunications equipment | Device certificate from Komdigi (the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs) |
The fastest way to check whether your goods are subject to lartas (restricted goods) rules is to look up the HS code on the INSW portal (Indonesia National Single Window). Send us a description and photos of the goods, and we will help determine the HS code and any permits that come with it before you pay your supplier.
4. Documents we handle as your PPJK
Once the documents above are complete, the following becomes our job:
- PIB (Pemberitahuan Impor Barang, the import declaration) prepared and submitted electronically to the customs system. This is where the HS code, customs value and the calculation of import duty and import taxes are fixed.
- Payment of import duty and import taxes via a billing code, normally paid by the importer directly to an authorised collecting bank.
- Lane assignment by the system (green or red) and handling of any inspection.
- SPPB (Surat Persetujuan Pengeluaran Barang, the release approval), the sign that the container may leave the customs area.
- Delivery Order (DO) from the shipping line and release of the container from the terminal, followed by trucking to your warehouse.
Checklist before the vessel arrives
- We have received the draft invoice, packing list and B/L at least 3 days before the vessel berths.
- The consignee name on the B/L matches the name on the NIB.
- The HS code has been agreed and any lartas permits have been issued.
- The original Form E is on its way, if you want to use the preferential tariff.
- Funds for import duty and import taxes are ready, because the billing must be paid before the SPPB is issued.
With this checklist met, most of our clients' containers leave Tanjung Priok within the free storage period, without unnecessary extra costs.