The vessel has berthed. That is not yet your cargo. This article covers only physical exit: a usable BAE, the terminal, the truck, return of the empty. Many importers believe an arrival notice is enough to send the truck. At the Port of Douala, vessel arrival, CAMCIS liquidation and the gate pass are three different clocks.
- Hold still in CAMCIS → cargo held by Customs
- Hold without knowing where → blocked container: stage diagnosis
The PAD operates the quay, storage and terminal. The GUCE isolates pickup as a phase of its own. Confusing PAD and Customs wastes the truck slot: the wrong operator is called while free time melts away.
1. The rule in one line
Arrival ≠ clearance ≠ pickup.
As long as the BAE (release order) is not usable and the terminal has not released the lot, the truck waits — and the storage / demurrage meter runs. A driver positioned too early « unlocks » nothing: he waits at the gate. A driver positioned too late adds a terminal day. Pickup is played on the calendar, not on the urgency of the momen
. This page assumes the declaration is liquidated or on the way to being so. If CAMCIS has not finished, pickup is not the right leve
r.2. After the BAE: what still bloc
s Even once liquidated, a file can stay stuck. That is the core of this article: Customs has nothing left to say, and the container still does not leav
| e.It | emWho invoices / who ac | tsSympt |
|---|---|---|
| omTHC / stevedori | ngTerminal / stevedo | reDuties paid, no physical relea |
| seExit perm | itTermin | alTruck at the port, no authorisation to lea |
| veTruck not position | edHauli | erBAE ready, no sl |
| otSite unable to destu | ffImport | erContainer out, immobilised at your premis |
| esEmpty retu | rnCarrier / dep | otDetention continues off po |
t Typical ALC case: BAE on Tuesday at 11 a.m., first truck slot on Wednesday. One extra terminal day, while Customs had nothing left to say. Transport must be anticipated before berthing, like the pre-declaration. Booking the truck on the day of the BAE is already late: slots fill up, the delivery site is not always ready, and the driver still has to enter the por
. Destuffing at the importer's premises is part of pickup. A warehouse with no dock, no forklift or no staff on the day sends the container into a wait that is no longer the port's, but that still feeds equipment detentio
n.3. Who does what (to stop calling the wrong numbe
- ) Customs / CAMCIS: declaration, lane, liquidation, BA
- . Licensed customs broker: sequences the file, payment and terminal follow-u
- . Shipping agent / carrier: B/L, container delivery according to the contrac
- . PAD / terminal: yard occupancy, THC, exit permi
- . Haulier: port entry, delivery, empty retur
. Nobody « manages the whole chain » alone. That is why a file that has « arrived » can stay a week with no customs dispute. Each operator has its window. The role of the licensed broker is to sequence these windows, not to stand in for the terminal or the
truck.4. Pickup che
klist Before arrival: documents, DI if the threshold in the guide applies (2 million FCFA FOB, before loading), domiciliation often from 5 million FCFA FOB (CEMAC exchange rules, Customs reminder), BESC when the maritime flow requires it, licensed broker, truck booking, destuffing plan, empty-return plan. Write down the free-time end date. Check site access (hours, height, turning ci
cle). After arrival: discharge → taking in charge → declaration → payment → BAE → THC / exit permit → pickup → empty r
turn. Full sequence: Douala Port clearance guide. The checklist above is not the guide: it isolates physical exit, which the guide places in the overall tim
line. A frequent omission: empty return. Taking the full out does not stop every meter. Organise exit → delivery → destuffing → return to the depot indicated by the carrier, and keep proof of the attempt to return if the depot is satu
rated.5. What ALC Transit sequences in pr
ctice As soon as the BAE is in sight: terminal balances, truck slot, site access, proof of the attempt to return the empty. The goal is not « to have the BAE », it is to have the container at your premises and the empty returned before free ti
e ends. We do not publish a universal THC tariff: it depends on the terminal and the contract. We publish the order of operations, because that is what cuts the days. If the hold is not a pickup issue, we say so and we point to the stage di
agnosis.Frequently asked questio
ns (FAQ)Is cargo that has arrived in Douala av
ilable? No. Three distinct steps: vessel arrival, CAMCIS clearance, physical pickup. Without a BAE and terminal formalities, the container stays on t
he quay.Why can a discharged container not be co
lected? Incomplete clearance or pickup not sequenced. It is not always
Customs.Does the Port Authority of Douala manage the whol
chain? No. PAD, stevedore, Customs, shipping agent, licensed broker and haulier intervene. Each has its
window.When should pickup be p
epared? Before berthing. Afterwards, each day feeds storage and de
urrage. Cargo on the quay, truck that cannot enter? ALC Transit sequences BAE, terminal and