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View all search resultsBatam's Batu Ampar congested as 759 e-waste containers disrupt cargo traffic
Three recycling companies importing the containers have yet to reexport the electronic waste to the United States as the state of origin because there are concerns they would lose their sources of raw materials.
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Batam Customs Office workers oversee the transfer of one of seven containers containing toxic and hazardous waste (B3 waste) to the Capricorn 97.210 Barge on July 29, 2019, at the Batu Ampar Container Port in Batam, Riau Islands. (JP/Fadli)
T
he Batu Ampar Cargo Port in Batam, Riau Islands, faces serious problems because importers have yet to reexport 795 containers of electronic waste to the United States, causing heavy congestion in the port, which has a capacity of 1,000 containers.
The Environment Ministry decided that the containers must be reexported to the country of origin.
Batam Mayor Amsakar Achmad said on Thursday that the port was getting “full” because of the container buildup. Because they have not yet been reexported, the cargo space is getting increasingly limited while legitimate containers keep coming.
“We don’t want to stack goods in the port. This condition causes the space to get tight,” said Amsakar, who is also chairman of the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam).
He said he had sent a letter to Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq to immediately solve the problem. He urged the ministry to make a decision so the hazardous waste could be dealt with.
“If the [import of the goods] must be punished, just give a clear punishment,” he said.
Amsakar said the buildup of e-waste containers is not only detrimental to businesses because of the additional cost but also reduces space for incoming legal containers.
