<![CDATA[Subsidized shipping does not automatically give every prospective user access to limited capacity or ensure that freight savings reach consumers. This study examines how access to subsidized capacity is allocated in the Sea Toll Program in Central Halmahera Regency, Indonesia, and, as a secondary implication, what this suggests about benefit transmission. A qualitative case study of policy implementation used semi-structured interviews with 13 purposively selected core informants (June–July 2026), one policy-level account, and document analysis, with thematic analysis of information, eligibility, prioritization, allocation, discretion, and accountability. Empirically, informants described access as shaped by reported capacity constraints, network-based booking information, cargo readiness, and commodity priorities; blurred boundaries between eligibility and allocation can disadvantage prospective entrants, although prioritization may support essential-goods availability. Informants perceived improved availability more clearly than lower prices, which suggests a potential, unmeasured subsidy transmission gap but does not demonstrate one. Analytically, the study proposes three gatekeeping layers (macro-regulatory, operational, and local-distributive) and separates access allocation from benefit transmission, as an analytical sequence rather than a tested causal model. Policy implications include separating eligibility from allocation screening, transparent criteria, documented decisions, and shipment–price traceability. The single-case design, institutionally weighted sample, and absence of systematic demand and price data limit causal inference and generalization.]]>
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