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SCMP Reporter

HONG Kong International Terminals (HIT) has taken a 62 per cent stake in Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) in Shenzhen.

HIT managing director John Meredith said yesterday that shareholdings of China Ocean Shipping Co, Mitsui and Co of Japan and Kumagai Gumi (HK), which were also in the Hutchison-led consortium that was investing in YICT, would be made known soon.

  The remaining 30 per cent of the venture is held by the Shenzhen-owned Dongpeng Industries Co.

  HIT is responsible for the development and operation of the first and second phases of the five billion yuan (about HK$4.4 billion) deep-water port.

  Mr Meredith said that although the first phase, comprising four general cargo berths and two container berths, had been completed, the first full container ships were not expected to call at Yantian until the middle of the year.

  ''We are still talking with shipping companies and although they are not signing up, the interest they have shown is far stronger than we had initially expected,'' he said.

  In view of the better response, work had begun on phase two, to add a further three full container berths.

  Of the six quayside cranes needed for phase one, two Panamax types have arrived and are being erected.

  The other four, post-Panamax types, will be delivered in the middle of the year.

  The port has so far handled about 300 containers, mainly from Taiwan.

  Break-bulk cargo is its main business for the time being, most of which would be needed for the construction of the port itself.

  HIT has already started putting modern management methods in place at the new port, which will be linked with HIT by computer.

  YICT has already started training local authority staff in order to minimise bureaucracy.

  This week, a delegation of 25 senior Chinese customs officials travelled to Hong Kong to familiarise themselves with international customs procedures during a two-day seminar organised by YICT.

  Although the Marine Department has held similar seminars and training sessions for Chinese customs staff in the past, it marked the first time such an initiative had been taken by a private company.

  Mr Meredith said: ''We are very sensitive to the software side of our port operations and want to make sure all facilities at Yantian match international standards.''  About 400 customs officers have been assigned to the port and more seminars are being scheduled.

  Yantian, located at Da Peng Bay in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, will have a full range of customs facilities, open around the clock.

  YICT is aiming to make customs procedures as smooth and straight-forward as at the Kwai Chung container port in Hong Kong.

  For instance, shipping lines serving Yantian will have their documentation processed electronically, before their vessels reach the quayside, to avoid losing time waiting for inspection at anchorage.

  Health, quarantine and customs inspections will be performed simultaneously.

  Inbound containers to China will require only one inspection, at their final destination.

 Outbound containers will be subject to simple customs procedures.

 Transshipment containers through Yantian will have their documents processed before arrival and will not be re-handled while inside the port.

  As soon as they reach Yantian, they will be ready for transfer to pre-arranged connecting carriers.

      YICT has also secured fully bonded status for Yantian, meaning that containers and cargo for international transshipment will be subject to very simple procedures in and out of the bonded zone.



HIT takes 62pc stake in YICT