Export Guides
The Export Documents You Need When Importing from Indonesia
A complete checklist of the paperwork that travels with an Indonesian agricultural shipment, who issues each document, and where delays usually happen.
Most delays in an agricultural shipment are not caused by the cargo. They are caused by a document that arrived late, carried a typo, or was issued by the wrong authority. Here is the full set that travels with a typical Indonesian food or agricultural shipment, and what to watch on each one.
The core commercial set
Commercial invoice. Issued by the exporter. It must state the buyer and seller, HS code, quantity, unit price, total value, Incoterm and port of discharge. Customs in most destinations will compare this line by line against the bill of lading, so the descriptions have to match exactly.
Packing list. Also from the exporter. Number of packages, net and gross weight per package, dimensions and container number. If your customs broker calls about a discrepancy, this is almost always the document involved.
Bill of lading (B/L) or air waybill. Issued by the carrier. It is the document of title — whoever holds the original endorsed B/L controls the cargo. Confirm early whether you want originals couriered or a telex release, because sorting that out after the vessel has sailed costs time and demurrage.
Origin and preference documents
Certificate of Origin. Issued in Indonesia by the Ministry of Trade or an authorised chamber of commerce. A generic Form B certifies Indonesian origin. Preferential forms reduce or eliminate duty where a trade agreement applies:
- Form D — ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement
- Form E — ASEAN–China
- Form AK — ASEAN–Korea
- Form AI — ASEAN–India
- Form IJEPA — Indonesia–Japan
Apply for the right form. A Form B where a Form E was available means paying duty you did not have to pay, and it cannot usually be corrected after clearance.
Food and plant health documents
Phytosanitary certificate. Issued by the Indonesian Agricultural Quarantine Agency (Badan Karantina Pertanian). Required for essentially every plant-based commodity — coffee, spices, dried leaf, seeds. It certifies the consignment was inspected and is free from quarantine pests. Book the inspection before the container is sealed; scheduling is the single most common source of delay.
Fumigation certificate. Issued by a registered fumigation company, usually stating methyl bromide dosage, duration and temperature. Australia, New Zealand and several other destinations mandate it. Some organic buyers specifically prohibit it — confirm which camp you are in before booking.
Certificate of Analysis (CoA). From an accredited laboratory. Covers moisture, ash, volatile oil, microbiology, heavy metals or pesticide residue depending on the commodity and your market. The EU in particular sets hard limits on aflatoxin in spices and coumarin in cassia cinnamon.
Health certificate. Required by some destinations for products intended for human consumption, issued by the relevant Indonesian authority.
Commodity-specific additions
- Coffee — ICO Certificate of Origin, issued through the Indonesian coffee exporters association
- Charcoal briquettes — MSDS and, for sea freight, a non-hazardous or self-heating classification statement
- Organic-certified goods — an organic transaction certificate from the certifying body
Where shipments actually get stuck
In our experience the three recurring causes are: a phytosanitary inspection booked too late, a mismatch between the invoice description and the B/L description, and an incorrect HS code that triggers a customs hold in the destination country.
All three are avoidable. Agree the exact product description and HS code with your supplier in writing before production, and ask for draft copies of every document for your approval before the originals are issued.
Importing from Indonesia? We handle the full document set on every shipment and send drafts for your approval before issuance. Get in touch with our export team.