An overview of Central Java's foreign trade, current conditions at the Semarang Container Terminal (TPKS), industrial estate issues, the competitor landscape on the Korea–China–Indonesia lane, and a prospect list of exporters for PCI2.
Central Java exports are growing at double digits (+21.4% through August), but monthly growth is slowing: August was only +13.8% yoy. Momentum after the US tariff agreement (Feb 2026) is normalising.
Exports are heavily US-centric (~46%), while imports are dominated by China (US$3.16 bn in H1). For PCI2 this means southbound cargo (China/Korea → Semarang) is strong and northbound cargo has to be hunted.
August imports rose 23.8% yoy, led by raw materials. Garment, footwear and Chinese/Korean-owned textile plants import fabric, yarn, chemicals and machinery. This is PCI2's core segment.
TPKS is running at ~1.05m TEU annualised, below the 1.1m target. Four new quay cranes and the 275 m Samudera berth reduce berth window risk, but tidal flooding and land subsidence remain operational risks.
At TPKS, KI8/CIK needs only 2 port calls from Semarang to Busan, versus 3 for PCI2 (via Laem Chabang and Shanghai). PCI2 does not call South China, where SITC CMI2 and KMTC KCS2 are direct. PCI2 leads on imports from Busan (4 calls vs 5) and Shanghai (2 vs 3), and on exports to Laem Chabang (next port).
Prioritise backhaul to Korea/China: fibre & yarn (Kendal, Bawen), glass (KCC Glass Batang), plywood (Kendal), UCO, and Chinese textile tenants in Kendal SEZ. Details in the prospects section.
Built from BPS Central Java's commodity share structure (top 10 commodities ~80% of exports; textiles, footwear, wood & furniture ~47%) multiplied by the official total of US$9.85 bn. Replace with the latest BPS release table when available.
The 39% oil & gas share comes from official H1 figures (non-oil imports US$5.17 bn out of US$8.51 bn total; Cilacap refinery). The non-oil breakdown is an estimated structure.
US: H1 2026. Japan and China: Jan–Oct 2025 (latest release with a breakdown). China and South Korea are marked orange because they are on the PCI2 rotation (Shanghai, Busan, Kwangyang).
Chemicals are rising in both directions. This cargo suits the Korea lane (Kwangyang, a PCI2 port, is a petrochemical cluster) and Shanghai.
Imports are growing faster than exports, so the deficit widened from US$1.24 bn to US$1.96 bn. Oil & gas is the largest component; the H1 non-oil balance is still a US$1.53 bn surplus.
Jan–Jun average = US$7.21 bn ÷ 6. July is derived from the cumulative total (9.85 − 7.21 − 1.24). The July peak is consistent with shipments held back until the US tariff fell to 15%.
| # | Shipping line | Lane focus from Semarang | TEU (est.) | Share |
|---|
Domestic carriers (SPIL, Meratus, Tanto, Temas) are estimated to account for the remaining ~150k TEU and are not included in the international ranking.
Jan–May grew 12.2% (382,093 TEU), but cumulative growth through August is only 5.53%. If the two figures are comparable, Jun–Aug volume was slightly below last year. Check against TPKS monthly reports.
| Item | 2026 status | Impact on service |
|---|---|---|
| Quay container cranes | +4 post-panamax QCC, twin-lift, 16-row outreach. 10 units in total. | Positive |
| Samudera berth | 275 m extension, scheduled to operate from Feb 2026 | Positive |
| Yard equipment | +27 head trucks & chassis | Positive |
| Raising berth & container yard | Under way in 2026 against tidal flooding | Temporary disruption |
| Tidal flooding & subsidence | Structural risk on Semarang's north coast | Risk |
| Vessel calls | Rising with new intra-Asia services | Watch berth window |
PCI2 implication: keep a fixed berth window, especially in peak periods. The new cranes shorten port stay, making it easier for 1,800–2,100 TEU vessels to keep schedule.
51.4% from textiles and garments, 21.1% from manufacturing and toys. Drivers are shifting investment and the closure of older labour-intensive plants.
Textile investors from Fujian, such as Honggang Textile and Hongsheng Materials, are building plants in Kendal SEZ under the China–Indonesia twin park scheme.
Nine companies in Kendal Industrial Park and Batang Integrated Industrial Estate were inspected for labour standards and occupational safety.
The Indonesia–US ART was signed on 19 Feb 2026. After the US Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA basis, Indonesia's general tariff fell from 19% to 15%. 1,819 tariff lines get 0%.
Furniture depends heavily on the US market and competes closely with China and Vietnam. The provincial government is pushing exports through SMEs. Kadin warns labour-intensive exporters need government support.
Used cooking oil (UCO) exports are closely monitored: more than 4 million kg in 2025 with export duty above Rp2.5 bn. Customs is also briefing exporters on the export proceeds retention rule (DHE SDA, PP 8/2025) and SSM export.
H1 oil & gas deficit was US$2.83 bn, while non-oil was a US$1.53 bn surplus. Imports are rising faster than exports.
TPKS and north Semarang industrial areas (Terboyo, LIK, Tanjung Emas) are exposed to tidal flooding. Berth and container yard raising is under way.
Criteria: the product has a market or supply chain at PCI2 rotation ports (Shanghai, Busan, Kwangyang, Laem Chabang), the company is in the TPKS hinterland, and volume is regular at several containers per week or more.
| Segment | Example company / cluster | Location | Relevant PCI2 ports | Direction | Fit |
|---|
Company names are a starting point for prospecting from public information. Confirm actual export destinations through export declarations (PEB), manifests or sales visits before adding them to the pipeline.
This section only covers services with a direct call at TPKS that serve Korea, China, Vietnam or Asian transhipment hubs. Services that only call Jakarta or Surabaya are excluded.
PCI2 rotation as confirmed by the Semarang team (Oct 2026): Shanghai – Busan – Kwangyang – Shanghai – Jakarta – Semarang – Laem Chabang – Shanghai. Shanghai is called twice per loop; counts use the nearest call. The KMTC KCS2 rotation is taken from the KMTC Surabaya schedule and assumed to loop back to Surabaya after Nansha. Adjust in the DATA.services block if the internal schedule differs; this table recalculates automatically.
| Service at TPKS | Issue in Semarang | Implication for PCI2 Semarang | Threat |
|---|---|---|---|
| KI8 / CIKCNC · CK Line | Only 2 calls from Semarang to Busan (via Ho Chi Minh). Vessels up to 2,822 TEU. The only Korea direct competitor at TPKS, and CK Line targets the same Korean shipper base. | Semarang exporters to Korea (plywood, glass, yarn) will choose KI8 for faster transit. For this cargo PCI2 must win on price and container availability. Conversely, lock in raw material import contracts with Korean-owned plants, since Busan → Semarang is more direct on PCI2. | High |
| CMI2SITC | Nansha/Shekou → Semarang in only 3 calls, with aggressive SITC rates. Exports from Semarang to Shekou go round via Balikpapan and Cebu (4 calls). | PCI2 does not call South China, so there is little direct overlap. Do not chase South China cargo on price; position PCI2 on Shanghai and Korea instead. | Medium |
| KCS2KMTC (Wan Hai vessels) | A Korean carrier calling Semarang. Semarang is the second call after Surabaya, followed by Jakarta, Port Klang, Hong Kong, Shekou and Nansha. Cargo to Korea is transhipped via Hong Kong/Shekou. | KMTC can sell Korea via transhipment under a Korean brand that Korean-owned shippers know. Stress that PCI2 is a Korea direct service, with no transhipment, for cargo to and from Busan and Kwangyang. | Medium |
| FirehorseMSC · from Mar 2026 | Semarang → Shanghai in only 2 calls (via Singapore). Backed by MSC capacity and contract rates. | Direct overlap on Shanghai: Semarang → Shanghai is 2 calls on both services, while PCI2 is faster inbound (Shanghai → Semarang 2 calls vs 4). MSC can also offer Korea via Shanghai transhipment. Watch MSC rate offers to PCI2 shippers. | High |
| Evergreendirect call at TPKS | Ever Blink and Ever Chaste were berthed at TPKS on 4–5 Oct 2026. Strong in Taiwan and South China. | Competes for Taiwan and South China cargo, which PCI2 does not serve directly. Its service rotation needs to be verified against the TPKS schedule. | Medium |
| SRGONE · feeder | Singapore–Semarang–Patimban feeder. Patimban added from May 2026. Korea/Japan cargo is transhipped in Singapore. | A threat for shippers who prioritise ONE's global network (Japan, Korea). For Korea, PCI2 is more direct because no Singapore transhipment is needed. | Low |
| ITSPIL · from 5 Sep 2026 | Semarang–Port Klang–Thailand. Does not serve Korea or China directly. | Does not compete for PCI2 cargo, but adds to the number of vessels berthing at TPKS. | Low |
| TPKS berth windowstructural | Four services new or changed since Sep 2025: KI8, Firehorse, ONE SRG and PIL ITS. | Competition for berth slots is rising. Secure a fixed berth window for PCI2 and use the 4 new cranes to keep port stay short and the Laem Chabang schedule reliable. | Watch |
Internal opportunity: Sinokor and Namsung ordered six 2,500 TEU vessels for Indonesia services, for delivery in 2025–2026 (The Loadstar). Deploying these on PCI2 could match KI8's vessel size.
Figures marked Estimate are stored in the DATA block at the bottom of this file. Replace the values with internal data (bookings, TPKS liner reports, latest BPS releases); charts and tables update automatically.