Regulations to Prevent Goods Build-Up at Ports to Take Effect Soon
New regulations for resolving unclaimed goods, state-controlled goods, and goods that become state property in customs areas will take effect on 1 April 2026. This regulation is expected to provide legal certainty while improving the quality of services in managing goods in customs areas, including preventing the build-up of goods at ports.
The regulation is in the form of Ministry of Finance Regulation (PMK) No. 92 of 2025 on the Resolution of Goods Declared Unclaimed, State-Controlled Goods, and Goods that Become State Property. The Ministry of Finance Regulation was promulgated on 31 December 2025 and will take effect 90 days thereafter, namely 1 April 2026.
“The regulation replaces PMK No. 178 of 2019, which previously regulated similar provisions,” said the Head of the Public Relations and Outreach Subdirectorate of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Budi Prasetiyo, in an official statement, quoted on Monday, 30 March 2026.
The update to the regulation is driven by various field dynamics, including the high volume of goods not handled by their owners, the lack of mechanisms for handling cash from shipments and commercial cargo, and the unregulated cooperation for destroying goods with other parties.
The old provisions also did not accommodate pre-auction service rewards and the delegation of authority to determine the disposition of unsold auctioned goods.
In the latest PMK, the government regulates several new provisions, including those regarding export goods that have not fulfilled their obligations, handling of goods in free trade zones, mechanisms for re-auctions if the auction winner does not meet obligations, regulation of cash goods, pre-auction service rewards, treatment of imported commodities with post-border trade systems, and policies for blocking customs access for parties that do not settle their obligations.
This regulation also includes policies to accelerate the resolution of goods, such as adding criteria for goods that can be directly destroyed without auction, delegating some authority for objections and disposition of goods to Customs and Excise officials, applying flat import duty rates for auctions of certain goods from shipments or passenger goods, and regulating the allocation of auction proceeds for private customs storage rental costs up to a maximum of 90 days.
This regulation also serves as the legal basis for developing a collaborative application system between the Directorate General of Customs and Excise and the Directorate General of State Assets to support more integrated and transparent goods management.
According to Budi, the regulation provides clarity on the mechanisms for handling goods that have not fulfilled their customs obligations, while accelerating the resolution process and improving transparency and efficiency in services.
Budi urged the public and business actors to understand administrative obligations in the customs process to avoid goods build-up at ports. He also asked goods owners to pay attention to storage time limits and promptly settle customs obligations so that the goods release process runs smoothly without future administrative consequences.
With the enactment of PMK No. 92 of 2025 on 1 April 2026, the government hopes that the public and business actors will better understand the flow of goods handling in customs areas.
This regulation also serves as a guide for Customs and Excise officials in managing goods that have not fulfilled their customs obligations in a more effective, transparent manner, and providing legal certainty.