Classification: module vs device
The same Bluetooth chip can appear in a tariff line as a component (module) or as a finished appliance (device) — and the duty, the certification expectation and the audit surface differ.
| What you ship | Classification direction | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Finished device (phone, speaker, router) | Appliance / device headings for its function | Radio-approval direction applies at device level |
| Bare modules / boards | Component headings | Do not mix module and device lines in one invoice position |
| Kits (module + housing + cables in one box) | Tends to follow the finished-device logic | "Kit" is not a customs category — describe the parts |
| Power banks / standalone batteries | Battery headings with their own transport rules | Batteries are a transport matter as much as a tariff one |
Costly mistake: Declaring a finished radio device as a "module" or "spare part" to ride a lower line. The mismatch between invoice description and physical inspection is the classic trigger for reclassification and delay.
Battery-bearing cargo: sea and air are different worlds
Lithium batteries are dangerous goods in transport rules. Sea and air treat them differently, and the difference shapes both cost and routing.
- By sea — lithium-ion and lithium-metal cargo moves under dangerous-goods provisions with packing, marking and documentation requirements; in practice it is routine when declared correctly, and expensive when discovered undeclared.
- By air — stricter: state-of-charge, packaging and quantity rules are tighter, some configurations are restricted, and rates per chargeable weight are higher.
- Undeclared batteries found at a terminal do not just cost fees — they can pull the whole container for inspection and delay every other cargo in the plan.
- The carrier and the airline set the current packing requirements — verify them per shipment, per the rules in force.
Wireless and Bluetooth: the SDPPI direction
Anything that transmits by radio — Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, RF remote — points toward radio-equipment type approval in Indonesia (commonly referred to under the SDPPI umbrella).
- The approval concerns the radio function, so a device that is otherwise ordinary (a lamp, a lock, a toy) can still trigger it.
- Approval typically attaches to the product as marketed, and it is a market-access matter — planning it after arrival means the goods wait while paperwork catches up.
- We screen every electronics enquiry for transmit-capable features at quotation stage, so the certification question is asked before the PO is signed, not after the container sails.
Packing and transport behavior
Electronics combine high value density with fragility — an unusual pair that changes packing economics.
- High value per CBM means LCL is often viable, but shared-container handling adds risk — carton-in-carton and palletized LCL reduce damage claims.
- Anti-static and humidity protection matter on a 9–14 day sea crossing into a tropical climate; silica gel and barrier bags are cheap insurance.
- Serial-number consistency between invoice and packing list supports smooth valuation review if the shipment is examined.
Cost and time: a chargeable-weight example
Air freight pricing for electronics is driven by chargeable weight — the greater of actual and volumetric. Illustrative figures; rates are subject to the prevailing quote.
- Compare: by sea, the same 1 CBM occupies 1 CBM of container — sea pricing rewards exactly what air pricing punishes. For battery cargo the sea route also sidesteps the tightest air rules.
- Sea transit runs roughly 9–14 days to Jakarta; clearance time depends on documents and any radio-approval status, not on promises.
| Item | Basis | Illustrative value |
|---|---|---|
| Actual gross weight | Scale | 120 kg |
| Volume of shipment | Cartons | 1.0 CBM (100 × 100 × 100 cm) |
| Volumetric weight (air, /6000) | 1,000,000 cm³ ÷ 6000 | 167 kg |
| Chargeable weight | Greater of the two | 167 kg |
| Air rate (illustrative band) | Per kg, lane-dependent, subject to prevailing quote | 167 kg × the current rate |
Related pages
This page summarizes field practice and publicly available Indonesian import rules for general business reference only—it is not legal, customs, or pricing advice. Customs provisions, tariff rates, and licensing requirements keep changing, so the rules in force at the time and the official processing result always prevail. Wuhan Freedom International Logistics Co., Ltd. · Licensed PPJK in Indonesia · Jakarta / Semarang / Wuhan.