Two different words, two different problems
The distinction matters because the remedies are completely different.
- Prohibited (dilarang) — the goods cannot be imported at all. No permit fixes this. If they arrive, expect seizure or re-export and costs on every clock.
- Restricted (Lartas) — the goods can be imported, but only with a specific permit, certificate or technical approval attached to the PIB. This is a paperwork problem with a deadline, and deadlines are where money burns.
- The lists and the exact requirements change over time — we verify each shipment against the rules in force on INSW and CEISA 4.0 rather than trusting a cached list.
We do not quote regulation numbers here on purpose: they get amended. What stays stable is the logic: category first, permit second, consequence third. Our PPJK team checks the current text for every filing.
Category, typical restriction, consequence
A practical map of how common categories behave. The "typical restriction" column is directional — the current requirement for your exact HS code is what counts.
| Category | Typical restriction | If you ship without it |
|---|---|---|
| Narcotics & psychotropics, weapons | Prohibited or tightly state-controlled | Seizure; legal exposure — do not ship, ever |
| Used goods (machinery, clothing, electronics) | Often restricted or prohibited depending on type | Held at port; storage clock running while status is resolved |
| Food & beverages | BPOM registration plus label compliance | Cargo waits in controlled storage until approval exists |
| Cosmetics | BPOM notification per product | Market access blocked; goods stranded |
| Wireless / Bluetooth devices | Radio-equipment approval (SDPPI direction) | Release delayed; certification done retrospectively under stress |
| Chemicals (industrial & hazardous) | Permits depending on composition and use; DG rules in transport | Port refuses handling; re-pack or re-route costs |
| Steel & some building materials | Trade-remedy / SNI-type requirements on certain lines | Duty surprises or release held pending documents |
| Medical devices & supplements | Health-authority registration pathways | Long holds; possibly re-export |
| Plant & animal products | Quarantine certificates | Quarantine hold; perishables deteriorate |
How to screen a product before you buy
Screening costs minutes before purchase and fortunes after arrival. The order of operations matters.
| Step | What you do | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Get the exact product spec | Material, function, composition — not just the trade name | A wrong HS guess that masks a Lartas trigger |
| 2. Classify to HS / BTKI | Use our HS code check or ask us to verify on INSW | Screening the wrong tariff line |
| 3. Check Lartas status for that line | Permit type, issuing agency, whether it attaches to importer or product | Discovering the permit at the port |
| 4. Confirm who can hold the permit | Some permits need your own entity, not an undername holder | A permit that legally cannot cover your shipment |
| 5. Timeline the paperwork | Some approvals take weeks — start before production | Container ready, documents not |
Items people ship without realizing they are restricted
These are the recurring surprises in our inbox. None are prohibited — all are permit traps.
- Walkie-talkies, drones, Wi-Fi modules — anything with a radio transmitter points at radio-equipment approval.
- "Health" foods, supplements, teas — they are food or medicine products, not snacks; BPOM applies.
- Skincare and hair products — cosmetics notification is per product, not per brand.
- Spare parts that look industrial — certain lines carry their own requirements; "just parts" is not a status.
- Wooden items and packaging — quarantine treatment expectations apply to solid wood packing material.
When a problem is found at the port
If prohibited goods arrive, the practical outcomes are seizure or re-export, and you pay storage, handling and freight on every day in between. If restricted goods arrive without the permit, the goods usually wait in a controlled facility while the paperwork is built — sometimes it can be completed, sometimes not.
- Costs accrue from day one: container demurrage, detention, warehouse storage and re-handling. See how the clocks stack.
- An illustrative pattern: a container held two extra weeks in port storage plus demurrage can add thousands of dollars before a single dollar of duty is paid — wide range, depends on port and carrier, subject to the prevailing tariff.
- Prevention is a document review before the container sails, which is exactly what our pre-shipment verification does. See Lartas & Restricted Goods.
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.