Indonesian Coffee Demurrage & Detention: 2025 Playbook

A field-tested, 48-hour waiver and extension system for Indonesian coffee shipments. Who to contact, what evidence to attach, how to write the email, and when to escalate—focused on actually winning demurrage/detention relief in 2025.

We’ve avoided $10,247 in demurrage and detention in 90 days using this exact system. The steps are simple. The discipline isn’t. If you ship Indonesian coffee through Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Perak, Belawan or Makassar, this is the 2025 playbook we use when a container goes sideways.

The 3 pillars of fast waiver and extension wins

Evidence before email. You don’t win waivers with emotion. You win with timestamps. Build a one‑pager packet before you contact anyone:

Customs proof: CEISA/INSW downtime screenshots, red‑line/physical inspection notices, phytosanitary inspection booking and release, lab analysis proof for coffee quality or contaminants, quarantine holds (if any).
Terminal/port proof: EDI gate logs (gate-in, gate-out attempts), terminal advisories from JICT/TPK Koja/NPCT1, truck appointment screenshots, road restriction notices around Jakarta port.
Carrier proof: Shipping line demurrage policy excerpt for Indonesia, free time confirmation at booking, carrier advisories on port congestion or system outages.
Shipment facts: BL number, container numbers, voyage, last free day (LFD), amount billed, timeline of events on one line.

Sequence the outreach. In Indonesia, approvals for shipping line demurrage sit with the carrier’s local agency (customer service + revenue manager). Terminal storage waivers are separate and handled by terminal billing. Your forwarder is your multiplier in both lanes.

First call: your forwarder. Ask them to open a formal dispute ticket with the carrier and, if relevant, a storage appeal with the terminal.
First email: you to the carrier local agency with your forwarder in CC. CC the terminal only if storage is involved. Keep approver names front and center. We often loop a trade manager if we know response times are slow.

Ask for a specific remedy. Don’t write “Please help review.” Write “Requesting 5 days demurrage waiver due to Customs red line inspection, evidence attached. If full waiver isn’t possible, please extend free time by 5 days.” Specific requests are easier to approve and negotiate.

Practical takeaway: a 30‑minute evidence pack and a clear, targeted ask cut approval time by half in our experience.

Week 1–2: Prep your case like a pro (tools + templates)

Think of this as “market research” for your waiver.

Build a policy file for your lanes. Save PDFs or screenshots of 2025 carrier policies for Indonesia. Some lines quietly updated Jakarta port detention clocks in Q3–Q4 2024. Know your free time by equipment type and your buyer’s Incoterms. Even on FOB/CFR, your advocacy often helps.
Track public holiday impacts. Idul Fitri 2025 is forecast for late March to early April. Nyepi in Bali shuts everything down. Our rule: ask for free time extensions 7–10 days before these windows. The success rate is higher when requested before the LFD.
Use a one‑page “free time extension letter.” Make it factual.

Sample subject lines that work:

Subject: Demurrage waiver request – BL ABCD123456 – Customs inspection Indonesia – 4 days
Subject: Free time extension request – Tanjung Priok delay – CEISA outage evidence attached

Demurrage appeal template (trim to one screen):

Greeting: Dear [Carrier Jakarta CS + Local Agency Manager],
Opening ask: We request a [X‑day demurrage waiver/free time extension] for BL [number], container(s) [numbers], voyage [vessel/voyage].
Reason with dates: The shipment faced [Customs red line/Quarantine/Terminal systems down/Port truck restrictions] on [dates]. See attached timeline and evidence.
Evidence index: 1) Customs notice. 2) Terminal advisory. 3) EDI gate logs. 4) Booking free time confirmation.
Commercial context: Coffee export, food safety compliance. We acted within standard lead times and notified parties promptly.
Close: If a full waiver isn’t feasible, we request a partial waiver of [X] days or equivalent free time extension. Kindly confirm by [date/time] as charges accrue daily.
Signature: Name, phone, company, forwarder reference.

We attach product‑specific context only if it helps. Example: phytosanitary re‑inspection for Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans or aging QA checks for Musty Cup Green Coffee Beans (Aged Arabica). The key is tying the delay to government‑mandated steps, not internal indecision.

Week 3–6: Execute your first waiver in 48 hours

Here’s our field sequence when a Tanjung Priok demurrage or Jakarta port detention bill lands.

Hour 0–4

Call your forwarder. Ask them to open a carrier dispute ticket and share the ticket number.
Compile the evidence pack and timeline. Name files cleanly: “BL12345_CEISA‑Outage_2025‑03‑31.png.”

Hour 4–12

Send your email to the carrier local agency. CC your forwarder. If terminal storage is included, CC the terminal billing contact and explicitly separate the asks: “Shipping line demurrage” vs “terminal storage.”
Log your call. We always do one live phone follow‑up. On the phone, say: “We’re requesting X days waiver tied to [Customs/terminal cause]. Who is the approver on your side and when can we expect a decision?” Names and timelines matter.

Hour 12–24

If no response, escalate to the local agency revenue or pricing manager. Keep it professional, attach the original thread.
If the carrier asks for “proof of congestion” or “system outage,” use: terminal advisories, public notices, gate appointment screenshots, or traffic restrictions issued by Jakarta authorities.

Hour 24–48

Negotiate partial relief if needed. We’ve had success with splits like “waive the first 3 days, we’ll absorb the rest” or “grant 5 days extra free time; we’ll gate out within 24 hours.”
If denial is final, ask for a written justification quoting their shipping line demurrage policy. Some approvals turn after you show the policy allows for force majeure or government hold exceptions.

Who to contact first? Your forwarder, then the carrier local agency. Loop terminals only for storage. Port authority rarely engages on a single‑shipment waiver. Approvals live with the carrier agency and the terminal’s billing supervisor.

What documents prove a customs‑caused delay? We lean on:

Red line/physical inspection notice and release time.
Quarantine/phytosanitary inspection booking and release.
CEISA/INSW outage screenshot with timestamp.
Any customs memo requesting additional docs in the coffee export documentation Indonesia trail.

Response times we see: 24–72 hours for Jakarta. Faster if you escalate with a clear evidence pack. Slower during Eid weeks.

Week 7–12: Scale and prevent

Once you’ve won a few, build an SOP so waivers become the exception rather than your profit center.

Lock free time at booking. For coffee, 10–14 days at origin and destination is our baseline during peak months. Put it in writing in the booking confirmation.
Pre‑alert around holidays. For Idul Fitri 2025, send free time extension requests 10 days before LFD. Do the same for Nyepi if your Bali pipeline is active with Bali Natural Green Coffee Beans.
Educate buyers on destination detention. Add a clause: “Buyer to secure minimum X days free time at destination. If Jakarta port detention or destination detention arises from buyer delays, buyer bears charges.” This has saved us real money on Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans and Blue Batak Green Coffee Beans lanes.
Choose lines with pragmatic policies. In our experience, consistency beats the lowest base rate. Ask carriers to share their 2025 Indonesia policy in writing.
Keep a living evidence folder by port. We keep Tanjung Priok demurrage advisories, JICT notices, and sample approvals in a shared drive. New teammates ramp faster.

Practical takeaway: prevention beats appeal. Negotiate free time up front and time your gates to avoid predictable blackouts.

The 5 biggest mistakes that kill waivers

Vague asks. “Please help” gets ignored. “Request 4‑day waiver due to Customs red line 3/28–3/31, see evidence” gets traction.
No timestamps. Claims without CEISA/INSW screenshots, terminal notices, or gate logs rarely land.
Mixing demurrage with terminal storage. Two different pockets of money. Separate requests and contacts.
Missing the LFD. Asking after charges stack for a week makes approvals politically harder. Ask early for free time extension.
Blaming “congestion” without proof. Use carrier or terminal advisories. Better yet, attach truck appointment screenshots showing no slots.

Quick answers to the questions we get most

What reasons do carriers accept for a demurrage waiver in Indonesia?

Government‑driven or carrier/terminal‑driven issues with proof. Examples: Customs red line, quarantine or phytosanitary inspection, CEISA/INSW outages, terminal system failures, vessel rollovers initiated by the line, port‑imposed truck restrictions during Eid. Pure shipper delays or document errors rarely qualify.

How do I write a demurrage waiver email for a coffee container?

Keep it to one screen. State the ask, list dates, attach evidence, give a deadline. Use the template above. Add coffee context only if it shows compliance, like mandatory lab tests for residue on a microlot.

Who should I contact first—the shipping line, terminal, or forwarder—for a waiver?

Forwarder first to open tickets and chase internally. Then the carrier’s local agency approver. Contact the terminal only for storage charges. They are parallel but separate approvals.

What documents prove a customs‑caused delay for a waiver request?

Red line/inspection notices, quarantine booking and release, CEISA/INSW downtime screenshots, official memos requesting additional docs, and EDI records that show attempted gate moves aligned with those events.

How fast do shipping lines respond to waiver or free time extension requests in Indonesia?

We see 24–72 hours in normal weeks. During late‑March to early‑April 2025, expect slower due to Eid. Ask early and put a response time in your email.

Can I get detention waived if my buyer delayed pickup at destination?

Hard. If the buyer caused the delay, carriers won’t waive detention. Your best bet is prevention: lock destination free time in the booking and contractually pass detention to the buyer for late pickup.

Does Eid/holiday congestion qualify as force majeure for demurrage waivers?

Sometimes. If the port or carrier issued advisories reducing gate hours or restricting trucks, you have a case. Attach those notices. Generic “holiday traffic” without evidence won’t cut it.

Resources and next steps

If you want our one‑page “demurrage appeal template” and the 48‑hour checklist we use internally, we’re happy to share. Need help with your specific situation? You can Contact us on whatsapp. If you’re planning Q2–Q3 shipments and want to sanity‑check free time terms while you’re choosing origins like Gayo Long Berry Green Coffee Beans or Sumatra Lintong Green Coffee Beans (Lintong Grade 1), send us your draft booking notes and we’ll flag the risk points.

Here’s the thing. Winning waivers in Indonesia isn’t magic. It’s timestamped evidence, the right approver, and a specific ask inside 48 hours. Do that, and you’ll keep your coffee moving and your margin intact. And if you’re lining up new lots for 2025, browse our current origins and processing styles to match your program goals. View our products.