Public Beta · Reference ranges calibrated Oct 2026, consistent with the Sep 2026 Pinglu Canal trial navigation. These are planning estimates, not a formal quote. Spotted a discrepancy? Tell us — this page exists to be challenged.
Key Numbers (per 40HQ)#
| Metric | Reference value |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, Jakarta → Qinzhou | Fastest ≈ 6 days; typical 6–9 days (schedule aggregator, captured 9 Oct 2026) |
| Frequency | Direct loops: 3 loops / 2 carriers (SITC first direct Thailand–Vietnam–Indonesia line since 2017); aggregators list 378 sailings, 16 direct + 362 transshipment |
| Import, dry 40HQ → Nanning (door-to-port) | ≈ $840–1,370 (component-midpoint ≈ $1,100) |
| Import, reefer 40HQ (frozen durian, seafood) → Nanning | ≈ $2,000–4,000, seasonal (component-midpoint ≈ $2,990) |
| Export via Pinglu Canal, Nanning basin → Jakarta | ≈ $840–1,435 vs ≈ $1,780–2,400 via Pearl River detour — saves roughly $350–1,550/box (≈ $950 midpoint) |
| Canal lockage | Free until 31 Dec 2026; from 1 Jan 2027 RMB 1.0/gross-ton/lockage (≈ RMB 7,500 per 5,000-t barge transit, < $15 per box) |
1. Why This Route Matters — and Why It Is Different#
Jakarta (Tanjung Priok) is Indonesia's main container port and the origin of a fast-growing Southeast Asian import category for Southwest China: frozen durian (first container arrived Qinzhou in Jan 2026), shrimp, seafood, coffee and spices — plus the destination for Guangxi machinery, lithium batteries and Hunan/Guizhou lighters that now ride the canal basin to Qinzhou instead of the Pearl River.
But Jakarta is the weakest case for the canal story of the three lanes we have broken down — and that is exactly why it is worth reading. Jakarta is actually closer by sea than Laem Chabang (≈1,600 nm vs ≈1,900 nm), yet transit is longer and freight is higher: the lane is served by fewer direct loops (2 direct carriers vs 5–6 weekly fruit-express sailings on the Thai lane), so most boxes move via transshipment. That scheduling premium — not distance — raises the ocean cost, and the canal's inland saving shrinks as a share of the total. The lane still beats the Pearl River detour, but by a smaller margin than the Thai or Klang lanes.
2. Route Profile#
Tanjung Priok: Indonesia's gateway port, currently flagged mild congestion (Oct 2026).
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sea distance | ≈ 1,600 nm (≈ 3,000 km) via the Strait of Malacca — estimate; transit is scheduling-driven |
| Fastest port-to-port | ≈ 6 days (schedule aggregator, direct loops, captured 9 Oct 2026) |
| Typical port-to-port | 6–9 days; first Indonesia frozen-durian box: departed Jakarta 26 Dec 2025, arrived Qinzhou bonded zone 5 Jan 2026 (≈10 days incl. port handling & clearance) |
| Direct services | SITC Thailand–Vietnam–Indonesia direct line since Jun 2017; aggregators show 3 direct loops / 2 carriers, 16 direct sailings vs 362 transshipment sailings (13 carriers) |
| Port | Tanjung Priok (IDJKT) — Jakarta's gateway, operators incl. JICT; destination currently flagged mild congestion (Oct 2026) |
| Comparable lanes | Qinzhou–Laem Chabang 3–6 days; Qinzhou–Port Klang 4–9 days; Qinzhou–Kuantan <3 days |
3. Import Landed Cost — 40HQ, Jakarta → Qinzhou → Nanning#
All figures USD per 40HQ, converted at 9 Oct 2026 rates (USD 1 ≈ CNY 6.733, SAFE mid-rate; USD 1 ≈ IDR 17,900, market). Ranges are reference bands, not quotes.
| Component | Dry | Reefer (frozen durian, seafood) | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight, all-in | $400–700 | $1,400–3,000 | Direct loops scarcer than Thailand/Malaysia → premium; 2026 guides price China↔Jakarta FCL 20GP at $500–800, 7–12 days. Reefer quotes seasonal |
| Origin terminal (THC), Tanjung Priok | $145–215 | $145–215 | Maersk & MSC local THC 40' USD 145; JICT CHC tariff; Indonesian PPJK guide: THC ≈ IDR 1.2–1.8M per 20' (≈ $134–201 per 40' equivalent) |
| Origin reefer services (pre-cool, documentation) | — | $100–250 | Packer/shipper services, by commodity |
| Destination terminal (THC), Qinzhou | $74–119 | $74–119 | Market-rate terminal handling (¥500–800) |
| Qinzhou statutory port charges | $15–22 | $15–22 | Harbour dues ¥80/40' import + ISPS ¥12.8; port-construction levy abolished 2021 (MOF 2021 No. 8) |
| Customs & brokerage | $74–119 | $74–119 | Clearance + inspection; Qinzhou runs ASEAN-fruit green channels and 24-h release |
| Cold-chain handling, plug-in & monitoring | — | $45–89 | Terminal plug, pre-trip inspection, temperature monitoring |
| Inland leg Qinzhou → Nanning (truck, ≈130 km) | $89–149 | $89–149 | Market truck rate ¥600–1,000; rail to Sichuan-Chongqing/Kunming via multimodal services |
| Insurance (≈0.2% cargo value) | ≈ $45 | ≈ $45 | |
| Total | ≈ $840–1,370 | ≈ $2,000–4,000 | Component-midpoint sum ≈ $1,098 / ≈ $2,990 |
4. Export via the Canal — Smaller Saving, Still Worth It#
The canal barge replaces a 1,150–1,380 USD truck leg to Guangzhou — the core of the export saving.
| Component | Via Pinglu Canal | Via Pearl River detour |
|---|---|---|
| Inland to port | Canal barge Nanning→Qinzhou incl. berth handling: $220–400 (our simulator band for canal-basin origins; Nanning itself is cheaper) | Truck to Guangzhou/Shenzhen: $1,150–1,380 |
| Origin port handling | Included above | $250–340 (PRD THC) |
| Ocean freight → Jakarta | $400–700 | $400–700 |
| Destination THC, Tanjung Priok | $145–215 | $145–215 |
| Docs / export customs | $74–119 | $74–119 |
| Total / 40HQ | ≈ $840–1,435 | ≈ $1,780–2,400 |
| Door-to-port transit | ≈ 2.5–4 days | 5–7 days |
Mid-range estimate: canal lane ≈ $1,125/box (≈ ¥7,600) vs detour ≈ $2,090/box — a saving of ≈ $950 (≈45%), narrower than the ≈$1,200 midpoint on the Thai lane because Jakarta freight and terminals eat more of the pie. The toll timeline is unchanged: lockage free through 31 Dec 2026 (toll-free trial per the 7 Sep 2026 Guangxi government press conference; trial rate per 桂发改价费规〔2026〕533号), then RMB 1.0/gross-ton/lockage — RMB 7,500 per 5,000-t barge transit, well under $15 per container slot.
5. Worked Example — the First Indonesia Frozen-Durian Box#
The lane's proof case: 23 t of frozen durian pulp, Jakarta → Qinzhou bonded zone, cleared January 2026.
The real shipment that opened the lane: 1×40HQ reefer, 23 t of frozen durian pulp & puree, Jakarta → Qinzhou (departed 26 Dec 2025, arrived Qinzhou bonded zone 5 Jan 2026). Illustrative mid-range cost stack (not a quote):
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ocean, reefer all-in (mid) | $2,200 |
| Origin THC + reefer services | $355 |
| Destination THC, Qinzhou | $95 |
| Qinzhou statutory | $18 |
| Clearance, frozen-durian channel | $95 |
| Cold-chain handling & monitoring | $67 |
| Inland reefer truck → Nanning | $115 |
| Insurance | $45 |
| Total | ≈ $2,990/40HQ (≈ ¥20,100) |
Reality check: 23 t in one reefer → ≈ ¥0.87/kg of logistics. That is nearly identical to the Thai-lane per-kg math (≈¥0.92/kg) — the higher per-box ocean cost is offset by the payload density of frozen product (23 t vs ≈16 t of fresh durian in the Thai-lane example). And it is commercially proven: the first box cleared in January 2026, and the lane has since become a scheduled option for Indonesian fruit.
6. What to Verify Before Booking#
- Direct vs transshipment: most Jakarta bookings transit (13 carriers offer transshipment vs 2 direct) — specify direct loop or expect 2–5 extra days and an extra port charge.
- Terminal congestion: Tanjung Priok flagged mild congestion (Oct 2026); book dwell time.
- Bunker adjustment factors move weekly; re-quote at booking.
- Monsoon windows: NE monsoon (Q4–Q1) affects the South China Sea leg; Java Sea seasonality adds risk in Dec–Feb.
- Tariff: frozen durian & most Indonesian-origin goods enter at 0% with Form E under the China–ASEAN FTA / RCEP — indicative only; customs advance rulings govern.
Methodology & Data Sources#
Estimates are built from published tariffs and official reporting, cross-checked to Sep 2026 canal operations. All USD converted at 9 Oct 2026 rates (USD/CNY 6.733, SAFE; USD/IDR ≈ 17,900, market). Actual landed costs vary by weekly bunker adjustments, congestion and seasonal draft restrictions; always verify final booking rates with your forwarder.
- 桂发改价费规S〔2026〕533号 — Pinglu Canal lockage trial rate RMB 1.0/GT/lockage from 1 Jan 2027, Guangxi DRC & MOT, 14 Aug 2026
- XinhuaA — canal opened 16 Sep 2026, 134.2 km, 5,000 DWT
- Schedule aggregator — Qinzhou→Jakarta 378 sailings, direct 3 loops / 2 carriers, fastest 6 days, captured 9 Oct 2026 (dynamic data; re-verify at booking)
- Qinzhou Gov't — SITC first direct Thailand–Vietnam–Indonesia container line, Jun 2017
- FTZ QinzhouS area — 2025 ASEAN 44 lines; first Indonesia frozen durian box, Jan 2026
- Guangxi Gov't — first Indonesia frozen durian shipment (23 t, Jakarta 26 Dec 2025 → Qinzhou 5 Jan 2026)
- Maersk Indonesia — local THC 40' USD 145, Sep 2026
- MSC Indonesia — local charges, THC 40'DV/HC USD 145, Jul 2024
- JICT — component of handling tariff, Tanjung Priok
- PPJK import guide, Tanjung Priok 2026 — THC ≈ IDR 1.2–1.8M per 20'
- Efanda Logistics — China↔Jakarta FCL guide, Aug 2026
- Guangxi Gov't — Hunan/Guizhou–Beibu Gulf–Jakarta lighter export train, Dec 2024
- Chinanews / SAFES — USD/CNY mid-rate 6.733, 9 Oct 2026; USD/IDR month-end 17,875, 7 Oct 2026
- SohuB — 113 Liugong excavators shipped via Qinzhou, May 2026
- Guangxi autonomous-region government press conferenceS, 7 Sep 2026 — toll-free trial navigation through 31 Dec 2026
Get a Tailored Logistics Assessment#
Run your own numbers in the cost simulator — or apply to be listed in the verified supplier directory. Reference values only; not a formal quote.