Indonesian Vegetables: Demurrage & Detention Tips 2025

A practical, pre-booking negotiation playbook to secure more reefer free time for Indonesian vegetables in 2025. Exact timing, wording to use, evidence to attach, typical free-day ranges by lane, and fallback options if the carrier says no.

We used to treat demurrage and detention as a cost of doing business. Then we tracked every reefer shipment for a quarter. One importer paid USD 10,247 in D&D in 90 days. The fix wasn’t heroic operations. It was locking in the right free time at booking.

Here’s the negotiation system we now run for Indonesian vegetable reefers. It works whether you’re moving Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce), or mixed lanes to ASEAN, Middle East, China, and the EU.

The 3 pillars that consistently cut reefer D&D

Ask early, with proof. Carriers and NVOs say yes more often when you request extra free time before booking confirmation and include verifiable causes of delay like quarantine appointments or holiday closures.
Put the ask in writing where it counts. Verbal promises disappear. Booking notes and the carrier’s booking confirmation should carry the exact free time terms, not just an email thread.
Choose the right free time structure. In our experience, combined free time is usually better for fresh vegetables because you can shift days between port storage (demurrage) and equipment return (detention) as situations evolve.

Week 1–2: Pre-booking research and validation (the homework that wins approvals)

Map the bottlenecks. For Indonesian vegetables, the usual culprits are quarantine inspection slots, weekend market delivery windows, and yard congestion at destination. Over the last 6 months we’ve seen tighter free-time policies and shorter standard reefer free days on several carriers, especially into the UAE and EU as networks adjust around Red Sea diversions.
Pull the tariff and policy. Ask your carrier or forwarder for the 2025 reefer demurrage rates and detention charges for the exact port pair. Typical reefer demurrage rates range USD 150–300/day, with detention around USD 80–150/day. It adds up fast.
Check public holidays and port working rules. Most ports count calendar days. A few terminals offer holiday waivers for storage. Don’t assume. Validate for your destination.
Line up evidence. For vegetable shipments this can include: quarantine or phytosanitary inspection appointments, import permit timelines, a cold store booking confirmation, distributor delivery appointment, and any notice of port congestion.

Practical takeaway: Come to the booking with a short, evidence-backed case. You’ll be treated like a partner, not a risk.

Week 3–6: Lock terms at booking and ship

This is where the wording matters.

What wording should I add in the booking to make extended free time enforceable?

Use simple, testable sentences. We add a note like this in the booking request and ask the carrier to mirror it in their confirmation:

“Requesting combined free time at destination: 10 calendar days total (demurrage + detention) for 1x40RF. Free time to include stop-the-clock during official quarantine inspection and terminal non-working public holidays. If not confirmed in booking, please advise applicable reefer demurrage and detention tariff and free days.”

If you prefer separate buckets: “Requesting 4 days demurrage + 7 days detention at destination, calendar days. Stop-the-clock during quarantine inspection.”

Need help customizing this for your lane? You can Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll share the variant we use for GCC, ASEAN or EU.

When should I ask the carrier for extra reefer free time on Indonesian vegetable shipments?

Ask before you book. Approvals are easiest when capacity is still flexible. If you must ask later, do it pre-arrival with evidence, and copy your local destination office. After vessel discharge, you’re negotiating against the clock.

How many free days are reasonable to request by destination in 2025?

Ranges we’re seeing approved for import vegetables, assuming a credible case and normal volumes:

Singapore: 2–3 demurrage + 5–7 detention, or 7–10 combined.
UAE (Jebel Ali, Khalifa): 3–5 demurrage + 7–10 detention, or 10–14 combined.
China tier-1 (Shanghai, Ningbo): 2–4 demurrage + 7–10 detention, or 9–12 combined.
EU North Range (Rotterdam, Antwerp): 3–5 demurrage + 7–10 detention, or 10–14 combined.

These are not entitlements. They depend on carrier, service contract, and season. Around Lunar New Year, Ramadan/Eid, and year-end peaks, expect tighter approvals.

What evidence helps carriers approve more free time for perishable vegetables?

I’ve found 3–4 pieces of proof beat a long story:

Quarantine/phyto appointment confirmation or screenshot.
Import permit or customs inspection requirement tied to HS code.
Cold store receiving slot or distributor appointment.
Terminal advisory on yard density or public holiday closures.
For sensitive lines like Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce) or Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri), add your cold-chain plan: pre-cool times, reefer setpoints, and monitoring. It signals you’ll turn the box quickly once released.

Is combined free time better than separate demurrage and detention for reefers?

For fresh Indonesian vegetables, combined free time usually wins. Why? Demurrage burns while you’re waiting on release or inspection. If you clear fast, detention becomes the bigger risk. Combined free time lets you spend days where they’re actually needed. The exception: if you always gate out within 48 hours due to a bonded cold store next to the terminal, a slightly higher demurrage bucket plus standard detention can be fine.

Do weekends and public holidays count toward reefer detention at major ports?

Most carriers count calendar days for both demurrage and detention. Terminals may waive storage on non-working public holidays, but equipment detention typically keeps running. Ask for “stop-the-clock during official quarantine and terminal non-working public holidays” in writing. Singapore and the EU tend to be strict calendar days. Some GCC terminals allow holiday storage waivers but not equipment detention waivers.

Week 7–12: Scale what works and add safeguards

Put the clause into your SOP. Every booking should include your free-time template and attachments.
Trade rate vs. free time. Paying USD 30–50/FEU more to secure 3–5 extra free days often beats risking USD 600–1,000 in D&D. We track this trade-off lane by lane.
Request extensions with a trigger. If you hit day 2 demurrage with no release, request a one-time extension citing inspection delay and attach updated evidence. Copy origin and destination offices.
Use forwarder leverage. Some NVOs hold 2025 service contracts with better reefer detention policy or longer port storage free days bundled. Ask them to confirm your free time in their HBL and booking confirmation.
Build a fallback plan. If a carrier won’t budge, shift to cargo that tolerates faster turns, like Tomatoes or Red Radish, on that lane while routing high-touch leafy items via carriers open to combined free time. For some buyers, substituting with frozen lines such as Frozen Mixed Vegetables during peak congestion reduces D&D exposure without losing shelf presence.

A sample email you can copy

Subject: Request for Extended Free Time – Reefer Vegetables ex Surabaya to Jebel Ali – Week 15

Hello [Carrier/NVO name],

We’re booking 1x40RF vegetables ex SBY to JEA on [vessel/voy]. Due to mandatory quarantine inspection at JEA and a cold store slot on [date], we request the following to avoid terminal congestion:

Combined free time at destination: 12 calendar days (DEM + DET).
Stop-the-clock during official quarantine inspection and terminal non-working public holidays.

Supporting documents attached: quarantine appointment, cold store booking, importer permit. If alternative structure is preferred, we can accept 4 days demurrage + 8 days detention.

Please confirm these terms in the booking confirmation. If not possible, kindly advise your 2025 reefer demurrage and detention tariff and standard free days for this lane.

Thank you, [Your name / company]

The 5 biggest mistakes that drive D&D on Indonesian vegetable reefers

Asking after arrival. By then, you’re negotiating from a penalty position.
Vague wording. “Extra free time if possible” won’t make it into the system. Use numbers and conditions.
No evidence. A one-page PDF with dates beats a paragraph of context.
Not mirroring in confirmations. If it’s only in an email, it’s not enforceable.
Ignoring the trade-off. Refusing a small rate premium and paying 10x more in reefer demurrage later is a false saving.

Quick answers to the questions we get most

When should I ask the carrier for extra reefer free time?

Before booking confirmation. Pre-arrival if you missed it. Immediately if inspection is scheduled or holidays are near.

How many days should I request for UAE, Singapore, China, EU?

UAE 10–14 combined. Singapore 7–10 combined. China 9–12 combined. EU 10–14 combined. Adjust up if holiday windows overlap discharge.

What if the carrier won’t grant extra free time?

Use a forwarder with contracted free time and get it in the HBL.
Switch to combined free time, even if fewer total days.
Re-route to a terminal with better storage free days.
Pre-book guaranteed slots at a nearby cold store to accelerate gate-out.
Split shipments so high-risk SKUs move on a flexible carrier. For example, route tender Loloroso (Red Lettuce) via a line that approves combined free time and keep Onion on standard terms.

Resources and next steps

Build a one-page free-time playbook per lane: your requested structure, the exact clause text, evidence checklist, and escalation contacts. Train your team to paste it into every booking.
Track outcomes. If Carrier A approves 12 combined days to JEA 8 out of 10 times and Carrier B approves 8 days 2 out of 10, give Carrier A first refusal on leafy greens and premium cargo.
Pressure-test your cold chain. The cleaner your process looks, the easier it is to get approvals. We share setpoints and handling plans for products like Purple Eggplant and Carrots (Fresh Export Grade) with carriers to show we’ll turn the box quickly.

Questions about your lane or a tricky port pair? We’re happy to sanity-check your wording or evidence. View our products to see the vegetable lines we ship most and the typical free-time structures we negotiate alongside them.