Indonesia Tightens Used-Goods Import Rules: What It Means for Africa Traders
Indonesia is now enforcing Basel-aligned rules through its APIT import license system, rejecting shipments where used goods are declared as new or misdescribed on the bill of lading. If you buy from a supplier who mixes grades or hides age on paperwork, your container risks the same fate in Lagos, Tema, or Mombasa. Honest used-as-used declarations, with real test data behind them, are what keep cargo moving through customs today.
Why this concern is real
Indonesian customs has spent 2024 flagging containers where the manifest says "new electronics" but the physical goods are clearly used compressors, worn drums, or reconditioned motors. This is not unique to Jakarta. Nigeria maintains an outright prohibition list that includes used refrigerators and used televisions. Ghana's ban covers used air conditioners and used fridges outright, no exceptions for grade or age. Kenya and the wider EAC bloc apply Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) that reject inefficient used cooling units regardless of paperwork. If your supplier declares a used compressor as new-grade to dodge these restrictions, you are the one holding a container stuck at the port when Bureau Veritas or SGS opens it for inspection.
How it actually works
Customs officers in Indonesia, and increasingly in Lagos and Mombasa, cross-check the declared condition against physical inspection and against known HS code patterns for used goods. A twin tub washing machine bought new costs $30-45 FOB; a genuinely tested used Grade B unit runs $48-68 because it has already passed inspection and carries documented history. If your paperwork says "new" but the unit shows compressor wear consistent with 4-5 years of service, that mismatch alone can trigger a hold, a re-inspection fee, or outright seizure. The rules are not asking you to avoid used goods. They are asking you to declare exactly what is in the box.
How we handle it at Apex Home Export
We source from 184 factories across our network and run every used unit through a 27-point bench test before it ships, with results serial-logged against the unit's compressor number. Grade A units are 3 years old or less and carry a 90-day performance window. Grade B units are 5 years old or less with a 30-day window. Grade C units are sold and declared strictly as-is, tested but without a warranty window, and priced accordingly. We do not touch used cooling units or used TVs at all, since Nigeria and Ghana ban them outright and EAC MEPS rejects most used compressors on efficiency grounds. Every invoice states the actual grade and test date, matching what SGS or Bureau Veritas will find if they inspect. Payment is 30% deposit to open production, with the remaining 70% due against the bill of lading copy after we send you inspection video of the loaded container. All payment routes through a corporate account matching the contract entity on your paperwork, so your bank reconciliation and any customs query point to the same name.
We currently ship into Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Iraq, Egypt, and the Philippines, and freight to Lagos runs $3,000-4,000 per container depending on route and season. Because the manifest matches the physical goods, container inspections move faster, not slower.
What you should do before you pay
- Ask for the 27-point bench test log and serial numbers before deposit, not after.
- Confirm the grade (A, B, or C) is written on the commercial invoice, not just quoted verbally.
- Check that used cooling appliances and used TVs are excluded from your order entirely.
- Verify the bank account name matches your contract entity exactly.
- Request inspection video before releasing the 70% balance against the bill of lading copy.
- Confirm SGS or Bureau Veritas access is allowed if your buyer or bank requires third-party inspection.
Indonesia's enforcement is a preview, not an outlier. Nigeria's prohibition list, Ghana's ban, and EAC MEPS are already doing the same filtering at your own ports. Honest grading is not a compliance burden, it is the thing that gets your container released on schedule. Message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/8619905922526 with your target market and we will send you the bench test format before you commit a deposit.