The map: nine steps, two clocks
The vessel follows a schedule; the documents follow their own. Every delay on this lane is one of these two clocks drifting apart.
| Step | What happens | Who acts | Typical duration (wide band) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Booking | Space booked with the carrier; container ordered | You confirm the PO; we book | 1–3 days |
| 2. Factory loading | Goods packed into the container at the factory or warehouse | Supplier / consolidation warehouse | 1–3 days |
| 3. Export declaration | China-side export customs declaration filed | China-side agent | 1–2 days |
| 4. Ocean transit | Vessel sails to the Indonesian port | Carrier | ≈9–14 days to Jakarta |
| 5. Arrival & D/O | Manifest filed; delivery order issued against the B/L | Shipping line / agent | 1–3 days |
| 6. PIB filing | Import declaration (BC 2.0) filed by licensed PPJK | Our PPJK team | 1–2 days if documents are clean |
| 7. Duty payment | BM, PPN, PPh 22 paid into the state account | Importer (or per arrangement) | Same day to 1 day |
| 8. Release (SPPB) | Customs releases the goods | Customs / PPJK | Hours to days — channel-dependent |
| 9. Delivery | Container trucked to your door, unpacked, empty returned | Trucking partner | 1–3 days by distance |
Steps 1–3: before the ship sails
Everything expensive later is decided here — classification, permits, document accuracy.
- Booking needs the real cargo data: description, dimensions, weights, ready date. Quoting on guesses produces the gap between quote and invoice.
- Loading is where consolidation happens for LCL, or direct stuffing for FCL — photograph the stuffing; it settles damage disputes before they exist.
- Export declaration on the China side must match the commercial invoice — mismatches surface months later as queries, not at sailing.
Steps 4–5: the ocean and the paperwork handoff
While the vessel sails, the document package should be moving too — because the D/O cannot be issued cleanly without a correct B/L chain.
- We push the B/L draft to you during transit; a wrong consignee or description discovered after issuance costs an amendment fee and days.
- At arrival, the line files the manifest and issues the Delivery Order (D/O) against the original B/L (or telex release) — the D/O is the physical key to the container.
- Free time starts counting around arrival — see Demurrage, Detention & Storage for the three clocks.
Steps 6–8: clearance mechanics
The PIB (BC 2.0) is filed electronically through a licensed PPJK — us — with your NPWP/NIB/API numbers and every Lartas document attached.
- The declaration is assessed into a channel; some shipments release on documents alone, others are called for review — document quality, not promises, drives which.
- Duty is computed as on every page of this guide: BM on CIF, then PPN (~11% effective for non-luxury goods) and PPh 22 (2.5% tier with API + NPWP) on CIF + BM.
- Payment posts to the state account; release (SPPB) follows. See PIB (BC 2.0) Declaration for the field-level detail.
Step 9 and the worked timeline
Delivery is a trucking job with a deadline: the container must return to the line within detention free time.
| Illustrative timeline (clean documents) | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel berths, manifest filed | Day 0 | Free time clock starts per the carrier tariff |
| D/O issued, PIB filed | Day 1–2 | Documents ready during transit = no dead days here |
| Duty paid, SPPB released | Day 2–3 | Channel-dependent; review adds days, not promises |
| Trucked to door (Jakarta area) | Day 3–5 | Longer for Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya corridors |
| Container returned | Within detention free time | Late return bills per day — plan the unpack |
The recurring theme: shipments that move in 3–5 days after arrival are the ones whose documents were finished before the ship did. The ocean is 9–14 days of free planning time — use it.
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.