Despite Growing Congestion China Airport Clearances Steadily Become Easier
"GPLN Representative Younger Niche Sees More Efficiency in Customs"

Shanghai, China, March 28, 2006 - Even as the explosion in Chinese air cargo has pushed China into rapid airport building and expansion in order to avoid traffic congestion, some Chinese forwarders say that customs procedures are getting much better. This is creating a dichotomy in PRC air transport.

"China Customs improved customs clearance time quite a lot in the past five years," says Gloria Yan, general manager of Younger Niche, a Global Projects Logistics Network (GPLN) member in China, "A general customs clearance has been shortened from from four working days to two working days." And this is even better for much of the larger project cargo which often comes duty exempt. "For duty exemption cargo, same day customs clearance is workable," she adds.

The Global Projects Logistics Network (GPLN) is an internationally well known non-exclusive professional project logistics group for independent companies specializing in international projects shipping by air, sea and land as well as specialized lifts and handling of oversized, out-of-gauge and heavy lift cargo. Younger Niche is a projects logistics specialist member of GPLN covering three regions of China.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) already 18 of the country's 142 airports have reached full capacity and if nothing is done about the situation, by 2010 29 more airports will have no more cargo capacity. CAAC authorities believe that by 2010 airlines will increase cargo tonnage carried from 2005's level of 3.67 million tons to 11.8 million tons, a whopping increase of nearly 325%.

Currently the overall scheme for airport projects outlines that the country's three largest airport hubs, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing, will continue to grow with projects aimed at increased expansion, 44 new airports will be built and 52 regional and mid-sized international hub airports, including those in Qingdao, Xiamen, Dalian, Chongqing, Ningbo, and Yantai will also expand.

But at the same time the Chinese government has been working to improve Customs services at the airports and the fruits have been showing. Besides measures in the past few years aimed at lessening paperwork, from October next year, Customs staff will be able to check and clear cargo at the storage area of each carrier, which will shorten clearance time and cut our double handling. Currently air cargo has to be moved in and out of the Customs bonded area. But according to Gloria Yan, even now Chinese Customs has already been allowing pre-clearance of certain cargoes. "Pre-clearance can be applied if the cargoes meet with the requirements of Customs and the consignee is honored with the Customs' green lights."

In the past Chinese airport clearances have been notoriously difficult and slow so as China seems to be in a race against time for capacity, Customs seems to be keeping a step ahead. Gloria Yan certainly foresees the customs clearance side of business improving even more. "More efficiency and more improvement can be expected in the near future," says Yan.