Customs in North China will be capable of handling more express articles with the opening of the DHL-Sinotrans Beijing Capital Airport Gateway.

Major flight ports including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have their own large-scale gateways in the system.

As China's entry into the World Trade Organization drawing near, international transportation and logistic industry barriers will be reduced, making China more attractive to overseas businesses, said Charles Chia, managing director of the board of DHL-Sinotrans.

With the increased demand for import and export express services, international flight couriers will feel more pressure to enhance efficiency. As the largest international courier enterprise in China, DHL-Sinotrans has invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in the construction of the gateway in the Beijing Capital International Airport.

The project has adopted an advanced automatic control system which is expected to enhance the capacity and turnover efficiency of flight couriers in North China.

The system is also expected to be integrated with the automatic certification system for express articles under construction at Beijing Customs.

China's international flight courier industry was established in the early 1980s and has witnessed rapid development in the past 20 years. Established in 1986, DHL-Sinotrans has opened branches in more than 30 Chinese cities and 160 courier centres throughout the country.

(China Daily 10/26/2001)