Ambon (Yos Sudarso)

Yos Sudarso Port in Ambon lies on the deep, sheltered Ambon Bay on Ambon Island in Maluku province. It is the main hub for distributing goods across the Maluku islands, where much cargo is discharged and then reshipped on smaller vessels to the surrounding islands.

The port is managed by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) Regional 4, and containers are handled at TPK Ambon, operated by Pelindo Terminal Petikemas. Inbound flows are dominated by staples, building materials and consumer goods from Surabaya and Makassar, while outbound flows include seafood and local commodities.

Ambon's UN/LOCODE is IDAMQ. As at other eastern ports, the cargo imbalance means many containers return empty, so backhaul loads from Ambon sometimes attract different rates. For fishery products, plan reefer containers from the start and make sure the cold chain is unbroken from the warehouse to the terminal. Shippers forwarding goods to other Maluku islands should factor in waiting time for inter-island vessels and extra handling charges when estimating total transit time and cost. Tidy cargo documentation helps transhipment move faster.