The development of Bitung’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in North Sulawesi is accelerating export and import activities, with a target expansion area of 2,500 hectares. According to Muhammad Habibi, Acting Head of Bitung Container Terminal, efforts are underway to attract more industries to the SEZ, which already houses a paper processing factory contributing significantly to exports to China, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Strategically located near the Manado-Bitung toll road, seaport, and airport, the SEZ is poised to support key sectors such as logistics, fisheries, petrochemicals, infrastructure, and coconut processing.
Bitung SEZ is one of Indonesia’s 24 national SEZs aimed at boosting economic growth and global competitiveness. In Q1 2025, container traffic at Bitung Terminal reached 74,928 TEUs—up 21.21% year-on-year. In 2024, it handled 280,699 TEUs, marking a 10.37% increase over 2023. These positive trends signal strong momentum for Bitung as an emerging logistics and export hub in eastern Indonesia.

Source:
https://www.antaranews.com/berita/4819941/optimalisasi-kawasan-ekonomi-khusus-bitung-dongkrak-ekspor