Shipping from Bali
Shipping from Bali: a practical guide to the process, options, and timing
Shipping from Bali isn’t complicated, but it has specifics that first-time importers often don’t know until they’re in the middle of the process. This page covers the practical decisions: FCL vs LCL, timelines, and what I coordinate on your behalf. For current freight rates and a landed-cost worksheet, see the Bali shipping cost guide. Bookmark this one. It comes up a lot.
FCL vs LCL: which is right for your order?
Full Container Load (FCL)
You fill an entire 20ft or 40ft container with your goods. More cost-efficient per cubic metre at volume. Faster, with no consolidation wait. A 20ft container holds approximately 25–28 CBM; a 40ft holds approximately 55–60 CBM. Best for larger orders.
Less than Container Load (LCL)
Your goods share a container with other cargo. Priced per CBM. Best for smaller orders, typically under 10–15 CBM. Adds some transit time due to consolidation at origin and deconsolidation at destination.
Air Freight
Priced by kg/chargeable weight. Much faster (5–8 days to Europe), much more expensive per kg. Best for samples, urgent orders, or high-value low-volume items.
Approximate shipping times from Bali
| Destination | Sea freight (FCL/LCL) | Air freight |
|---|---|---|
| Germany / Netherlands | 28–35 days | 5–8 days |
| UK | 28–35 days | 5–8 days |
| France / Spain | 28–35 days | 5–8 days |
| Australia (east coast) | 10–18 days | 3–5 days |
| Australia (west coast) | 8–14 days | 3–4 days |
| USA (west coast) | 20–28 days | 5–7 days |
| USA (east coast) | 30–38 days | 6–9 days |
| UAE / Middle East | 15–22 days | 4–6 days |
Times measured from cargo pickup in Bali to destination port. Add customs clearance and delivery time at your end.
What shipping actually costs
Freight rates move with the global market, so a fixed number here would be wrong within weeks. For current 2026 rate ranges by destination, the full list of charges a freight quote doesn’t include, and a landed-cost worksheet, see the Bali shipping cost guide.
What I can tell you here: my cargo partner does not quote in pieces. You get one all-in figure covering documentation, packing materials, treatment certificates, loading, stuffing, the container trucked over to Bali and back to Surabaya for the vessel, and the ocean freight itself. It does not move after loading, unlike quotes that stop at the ship.
What is never included, anywhere: customs clearance, duties and taxes at your end, and delivery from your port. Those are yours and they always will be.
I don’t mark up freight costs. You pay what my cargo partner quotes. I make my money on the sourcing commission, not on inflating shipping. This is worth knowing before you compare quotes.
Want the current rates and a landed-cost worksheet?
Real 2026 freight ranges, every charge a first-timer misses, and a worksheet to calculate your own shipment. Enter your email and I’ll send it over.
Frequently asked questions
Will the shipping price change after loading?
No. Once your container size is set, my cargo partner gives a fixed all-inclusive price: documentation, packing materials, treatment certificates, loading, stuffing, inland trucking and the ocean freight itself. It does not change based on what you ship or how it gets packed. Most quotes in Bali are estimates that get adjusted after loading. Mine is not.
Do I need a customs broker at my end?
Yes. I handle the Indonesian export side. Your country’s import customs clearance requires a licensed customs broker or freight forwarder with customs services on your end. For Australia this is standard practice; for the EU, most importers use a freight forwarder with customs clearance services.
How do I get an accurate shipping quote?
Send me your product list with approximate weights or total CBM, your destination, and your timeline. I’ll get you a current quote from my cargo partner, usually within 24–48 hours.
Can you send a sample before the full order?
Yes, if you are willing to pay for it. Anything a workshop already has in stock is straightforward. A custom sample is different: it is a one-off, so it usually costs more per piece than the finished item will, and courier freight for a single piece out of Bali is expensive. For an order of two or three pieces that rarely adds up, and some workshops will not take on a complex one-off at all. On a real production run it works the other way round. You confirm the order and pay the deposit, the workshop’s first job is the sample, I photograph it and send it to you, and production carries on once you are happy. How it works sets out the full sequence.
Get a shipping quote
Tell me what you’re shipping, the CBM estimate, destination, and timeline. I’ll get you a current number.