Including alcohol in shipping container?

[Ari Thompson]

Hi, my wife and I, and 2 kids are moving from LA. I will have a KITAS visa, and I am wondering will there be any issues shipping some wine with our stuff if we declare it?

We have stocked up on lots of non perishable foods that the kids like and I know we can't get there - but can anyone suggest anything they wish they had brought, I know we are going to get there and wish we hit Costco for that one last thing.

What is required of us to receive the goods once in Indonesia and not to have to pay import taxes? Is this a straight forward process, or is it a logistical nightmare?

[meerkat]

Bali News: Bali Customs Destroys Alcohol Cache

I wouldn't do that if I were you-why risk all your important belongings getting tied up with an alcohol importation issue .... in a muslim country?

there's an american with a bar north of Nuri's in ubud on main road who can perhaps throw light on the container import when relocating-seriously go
have a beer with him and ask

[ronb]

Duty is payable on imported wines and spirits and the rate is pretty high. By comparing reatail prices of imported wines and local wines you would guess the import duty for wine to be around Rp300,000 per litre (about $33), and for spirits, maybe Rp 400,000 per litre ($44). I am guessing here, if anyone has accurate figures I would be interested.

[no.idea]

Ari, Because you have children I assume you mean that you have a work KITAS. If so your employer should be helping you out with this type of thing. The comment by Meerkat is spot on. Do not give yourself hassles, enough will come your way naturally.
I am interested in what non perishable goods you are bringing. I manage to buy nearly anything I want in Bali. If you pack something the locals do not know about they will simply wack a bit of extra tax on top of your bill. Things here are not done in a simple straighforward manner.
Amongst various charities that I am involved in we recently imported 1,200 sets of reading glasses. These are to be given to needy people throughout Indonesia. Of course this involved an import tax. The first amount demanded was higher than the purchase cost of the glasses. Eventually the tax price was negotiated down to a figure I was prepared to pay. This was followed by a 3 hour wait at the Post Office in Denpasar. This then was followed by a bit of excitement when 50% of the glasses were lost. This in turn was followed by a demand for more money.
One thing that living in Indonesia does teach you is to have patience.

[matf]

if you work a way around the taxes

when will you be taking orders?

lol

[meerkat]

just to clarify-am I right in assuming that you are referring to the right of a one time import of personal effects when relocating from home country to take up residence with Kitas & work permit here?

there would be some different regulations than the normal run of business when importing goods for local consumption

if this is the case then get very clear advice on the relevant regulations because those will be your bargaining points

expect some payments to be asked and given too - ah did someone mention patience ... no idea who, lol

to that sound advice,I would add..."polite persistence"

we wait here for your report to your own question …" Is this a straight forward process, or is it a logistical nightmare? "

[Ari Thompson]

Sounds like this is potentially going to be a problem, and more effort than its worth. I have 200 or so bottles of wine which I would've liked to bring, but it's not going to be a big deal. I did ask my employer who suggested I contact the Indonesian consulate, which I did, to which they pointed me to a somewhat ambiguous website, so no clarity. I may place a case or two in the container of which I am willing to let go if it's a problem.

In respect to foods I am talking about very specific cereals, energy bars, candy, some condiments, salad dressings etc etc. I noticed most of the products available in Bali for westerners were australian, which is fine, but sometimes it's great when your in a strange place to have some of the stuff you're familiar with.

Since the company is paying for the relo, we thought might as well make the most of it. Any other ideas on what you would have brought if you had the chance again?

[meerkat]

sorry to put a damper on what appears on the surface to be a great opportunity to bring some 'comforts from home'

when I was considering a container from my country I immediately thought of a spare motorcycle engine and other bike parts...(one of everything) as a workaround

another one-off item that I would have brought would be a particular (antique) cabinet that I could see business opportunity in reproducing here -so if you have any cool furniture/innovative idea...I'm just thinking of the one time opportunity to bring BIG items

that answers that part of the question

but a note about your food stuffs- we just went through those hoops at the close of last year when the legislation was enforced about all foodstuffs imported to be sold in indonesia have to be labelled in Indonesian language-

so long as your foodstuffs are for personal use-and you don't say otherwise if asked - theoretically you should be okay

where will the container be unloaded? Surabaya-or trucked to Bali? what I mean to ask is-where will you be clearing customs?

[pollyanna]

In respect to foods I am talking about very specific cereals, energy bars, candy, some condiments, salad dressings etc etc. I noticed most of the products available in Bali for westerners were australian, which is fine, but sometimes it's great when your in a strange place to have some of the stuff you're familiar with.

It's a very minor thing (until you're trying to use it) but the cling wrap or plastic wrap here is thin junk and I would need the patience of the Balinese to try unrolling it without testing how many curse words I know. Bring plastic wrap. Baking paper (another thing I'd rather not do without) is available at Ace Hardware but I haven't found any good plastic wrap in Bali.

[meerkat]

Import Regulations for Used Household Goods and Personal Effects - Moving to Indonesia - Removals / Relocation Tips

Prohibited Items

Explosives, weapons, firearms, and ammunition
Narcotics and drugs of various kinds*
Alcoholic beverages
Animal skins
Pornographic or politically sensitive literature
Under no circumstances should alcohol be included in the shipment.

*Illegal Drugs are dealt with severely in Indonesia. Sub-sections 112 and 113 of the Anti-narcotics law of 2009 carries a maximum sentence of death before a firing squad for anyone caught smuggling in drugs.

Motor Vehicles

Please note importation of a car, motorcycle and any kind of parts, spare parts, etc are strictly prohibited.