Bitung

Bitung Port lies on the east coast of North Sulawesi, facing the Lembeh Strait, which shelters the harbour from the Molucca Sea. Its position at the northern tip of Sulawesi makes Bitung the main container port for North Sulawesi and Gorontalo, and a point close to shipping lanes towards the Philippines and East Asia.

The port is managed by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) Regional 4, and containers are handled at TPK Bitung, operated by Pelindo Terminal Petikemas. Bitung is also known as a fishing city, so refrigerated cargo for seafood is an important part of its trade.

Bitung's UN/LOCODE is IDBIT. For reefer cargo, confirm plug availability at the terminal and depot, set the container temperature to suit the product and document the pre-trip inspection before stuffing. Many services from Bitung are domestic with transhipment at Surabaya or Jakarta, although international routes are also offered from time to time; ask the carrier whether a service is direct or routed via another port so the transit-time estimate is accurate. Shippers from Manado should allow for the road journey of an hour or more to the port when scheduling trucks.