Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT), Indonesia’s largest container terminal, has joined the new SEA7 shipping service to strengthen regional trade by providing a faster, direct maritime link between Jakarta and major East Asian ports.
Operated jointly by SeaLead Shipping and KCA Global Maritime, the SEA7 service links Jakarta and Semarang with Ho Chi Minh City, Busan, Incheon, Shanghai, and Ningbo—strategic gateways in Vietnam, South Korea, and China, which together represent a substantial portion of Indonesia’s international trade volume.
“With SEA7, Indonesia now has a faster and more efficient direct connection to major trading centers in East Asia,” said Budi Cahyono, Deputy President Director of JICT, during the launch event of the service in Jakarta on Wednesday.
“This initiative not only shortens logistics travel times but also strengthens the competitiveness of Jakarta’s port as a regional hub.”
The SEA7 service is designed to streamline shipping schedules and reduce dependency on transshipment through third-party hubs like Singapore or Port Klang, potentially cutting transit times by several days. This is expected to benefit Indonesian exporters, particularly in manufacturing, automotive, electronics, and textiles, by offering more predictable and stable supply chain routes to northeast Asia.
The service is also expected to support intra-Asia trade, which accounts for over 60% of ASEAN’s total trade volume, according to regional trade data. SeaLead’s entry into the Indonesian market through SEA7 reflects growing interest from mid-sized global carriers in Southeast Asia’s expanding economies.
“Indonesia, and especially JICT, is an important partner in strengthening Asia’s maritime connectivity,” said Jeremy David Daniel Franc, Managing Director of SeaLead Shipping. “Through the SEA7 service, we aim to add value for our customers while supporting the growth of cross-border trade.”
The service is scheduled weekly, with a capacity of up to 5,000 TEUs per vessel, and is expected to carry both containerized exports such as rubber, palm oil, footwear, and processed food, as well as imported goods including machinery, chemicals, and consumer electronics.
Since opening in 1999, JICT has handled over 50 million TEUs and is a critical node in the Tanjung Priok Port complex, which manages more than 60% of Indonesia’s seaborne trade. The terminal’s collaboration with SeaLead marks a significant step in JICT’s long-term strategy to position itself as a competitive regional transshipment hub.
JICT, partly owned by Pelindo and Hutchison Ports, has in recent years increased investment in port automation, digitalization, and sustainability initiatives to modernize operations and reduce turnaround times.
“We continue to innovate to meet the needs of our service users, in terms of operations, technology, and network reach,” Budi said. “Efficient ports are essential for driving the national economy, and this new route reinforces our commitment to providing world-class integrated services.”
The SEA7 route is expected to enhance Indonesia’s role in the regional maritime logistics ecosystem, at a time when supply chain resilience and diversification have become top priorities for global shippers amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty.