THE operation of the China Customs Advance Manifest (CCAM) system has been proven efficient during a pilot test run since end March 2011 at Da Chan Bay Terminal One, said a press statement from the Shenzhen facility.

The General Administration of China Customs has since announced its coming roll-out the CCAM nationwide of the new system now that the Da Chan Bay trials have been successfully completed.

Officials of the Supervision and Control Department of the General Administration of China Customs declared the operation of the CCAM at Da Chan Bay Customs a success at an industry seminar.

The seminar was attended by representatives from Customs of Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Dalian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Huangpu and Shenzhen, together with brokers and shipping agents.

"It was also reflected in the seminar that the new CCAM system reduced the customs clearance time and costs. While shipping agents gained more control in interactive information exchange, the terminal achieved higher operational efficiency through real time customs cargo release information," said the press statement.

Da Chan Bay Terminal One (DCB) is in the West Shenzhen Port area. It is a new international container terminal serving the Pearl River Delta cargo catchment area, covering 112 hectares with five berths along its 1,830-metres quay.

Managed by Modern Terminals Limited with 40 years of container operations in Hong Kong, Da Chan Bay Terminal One is equipped with the most advanced IT systems, facilities and equipment available, the statement said.