Logistics services in Indonesia.

Indonesia logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Indonesia cover sea, air, rail and road moves connecting a large archipelago to global trade lanes. Containers move through major seaports such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Belawan, Cilacap, Dumai, Palembang, Ujung Pandang, Kasim Terminal and Merak Mas Terminal, supported by about 123 ports and 79 oil terminals along a coastline of about 54,700 km.

Air freight uses 69 scheduled-service airports within a wider network of about 556 airports. Rail moves freight on about 8,200 km of track and links to seaports such as Jakarta and Belawan where rail access is available. Indonesia’s logistics performance index score of 3 in 2022 and export and import times of 2 days and 4 days indicate relatively efficient border and gateway operations tied to a diversified export and import mix.

Logistics services in Indonesia

When assessing freight forwarders in Indonesia, look at their performance on customs and infrastructure, where scores of 2.8 and 2.9 are slightly below the overall logistics performance score of 3. Forwarders with experience at high volume ports like Jakarta, Surabaya, Belawan, Cilacap, Dumai, Palembang and Ujung Pandang will handle container flows more efficiently. Links to key partners in China, the USA, India, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia matter given their large shares in Indonesia’s trade.

Membership in ASEAN and APEC shapes many regional trade routes, so forwarders used to these frameworks are useful. Check their relationships with shipping lines that have offices in Indonesia, such as ANL, CMA CGM, APL, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and others, and their ability to manage transit times in line with the logistics performance time score of 3.3.

Indonesia moves about 14.7 million TEU a year, ranking 11th of 168 countries worldwide and 7th of 33 in East Asia & Pacific. Container flows concentrate at ports such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Belawan, Cilacap, Dumai, Palembang, Ujung Pandang, Kasim Terminal and Merak Mas Terminal, with cargo pier depths at the largest ports around 9 to 11 m. Liner connectivity is moderate with an LSCI of about 32.7 and a world rank of 56 of 169.

Many shipping lines have offices in Indonesia, including ANL, CMA CGM, CNC, APL, Evergreen, Matson, Yang Ming, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, Wan Hai Lines, Gold Star Line and ONE, covering cities such as Jakarta, Batam, Belawan, Makassar and Palembang. Observed FCL rates for a 40HC include Shanghai to Jakarta at a median of about 2,520 USD on 2026-10-29, Qingdao to Jakarta at about 2,030 USD on 2026-10-28, and Jakarta to Rotterdam at about 3,941 USD on 2026-10-28. These benchmarks help plan FCL and LCL shipping from and to Indonesia.

Indonesia supports air freight through 69 airports with scheduled service and a total of about 556 airports across the archipelago. Main international airports include Adisoemarmo International Airport (SOC), Denpasar I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), Dortheys Hiyo Eluay International Airport (DJJ), Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP) and Hang Nadim International Airport (BTH).

Air cargo volume reached about 870.5 million tonne-km in 2023, giving an air transport rank of 34 of 184 globally and 10 of 30 within its region. Air freight in Indonesia is often used for higher value and time-sensitive items within import and export mixes that include integrated circuits, vehicle parts and garments alongside bulk commodities moved by sea. Forwarders can combine domestic flights with international lift to connect remote production or consumption areas to global hubs.

Rail and road freight in Indonesia complements seaports and airports across a large archipelago. The rail network extends about 8,159 km, with rail freight activity of about 15.6 billion tonne-km in 2019 and a global rank of 24 of 113 and 5 of 14 in the region. Rail connects inland production areas to ports such as Jakarta and Belawan, although not every port has direct rail access.

Indonesia has land borders totaling about 1,881 km with Malaysia, 824 km with Papua New Guinea and 253 km with Timor-Leste. These crossings allow international road movements linking to nearby ports and airports, supported by coastal shipping along about 54,700 km of coastline. Shippers often combine road haulage with short sea or rail legs to reach gateway ports like Tanjung Priok and other listed key ports.

The Directorate General of Customs and Excise handles customs clearance in Indonesia. The country has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1957-04-30 and is a member of the World Trade Organization. Indonesia also participates in ASEAN, APEC and the OECD, shaping its trade facilitation environment.

Average applied tariffs were about 1.83 percent in 2022. On the Logistics Performance Index, Indonesia’s customs score was 2.8 in 2022, above the world median of 2.6, with an overall LPI of 3.0 compared with a world median of 2.7. Export border compliance typically takes about 2 days, while imports take about 4 days. For efficient customs processes, shippers should work with brokers who manage commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents accurately and who are experienced with main export goods such as coal, palm oil and garments and import goods such as petroleum products, plastics and vehicle parts.