Nearly 10,000 containers piled up at Priok, importers under scrutiny

Nearly 10,000 containers briefly piled up at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta last week. Djaka Budhi Utama, Director General of Customs and Excise, said the backlog was not caused by customs processing, but by importers who were slow to remove goods even after permits had been issued. In a working meeting with Commission XI of the House of Representatives on Monday (15/6/2026), Djaka cited BYD and Wuling as examples of companies still using port storage facilities for three days after the Surat Persetujuan Pengeluaran Barang was issued, and in some cases had not moved the containers for more than two weeks. Customs then ordered the companies to immediately remove the containers from the port area. Djaka said importers were holding the goods because space outside the port was limited and storage fees at the port were considered cheaper. Going forward, Customs will push for faster transfers to buffer zones or second-line facilities outside the port.