In recent years, with the rapid development of Indonesia's real estate and home furnishing market, Chinese furniture is in strong demand locally due to its high cost performance and diversified designs. However, many enterprises lose a lot of money in the export process because they are not familiar with Indonesia's customs clearance policy, which leads to goods being detained, fined or even returned!
Today, we will provide you with a detailed analysis of the whole process of China's furniture container exports to Indonesia and the key points of customs clearance, to help you successfully develop the Southeast Asian market!
First, why choose to export whole container to Indonesia?
Compared to bulk cargo LCL, FCL (FCL) export advantages are obvious:
✅ Lower cost: billing by container, suitable for large quantities of goods, freight is more cost-effective.
✅ Higher security: the whole process of transportation is closed, reducing the risk of cargo damage.
✅ More convenient customs clearance: declaration of the whole container, reduce the probability of customs inspection, speed up customs clearance.
The whole process of exporting furniture to Indonesia
1. Domestic export preparation stage
Confirm the import policy of Indonesia: some wooden furniture need to provide fumigation certificate (IPPC mark), to avoid being detained due to quarantine problems.
Select the appropriate mode of transportation:
Sea freight container (FCL): 20GP/40HQ cabinets are most commonly used, suitable for high-volume exports.
Double Clearance Tax Package Line (suitable for newbies): the forwarder is responsible for domestic customs declaration + Indonesia customs clearance + delivery to the door, which is hassle-free but slightly higher cost.
Prepare customs declaration documents:
Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Bill of Lading (B/L)
Certificate of Origin (COO, Form E for ASEAN tariff preference)
Fumigation Certificate (if required)
2. Sea transportation stage
Booking: Confirm the shipping date with forwarder or shipping company, generally China-Indonesia shipping about 7-15 days (main ports: Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang).
Loading notes:
Furniture needs to be fixed firmly to avoid collision damage during transportation.
Take photos inside the cabinet to keep in case of dispute.
3. Indonesia Customs Clearance Core Process
Upon arrival of the goods, Indonesia Customs will conduct the following audits:
