XN000022-1973-05-11 — Page 8

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Friday, May 11, 1973

PERMANENT TRADE DOCUMENTS COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED

A new committee has been set up to study trade documents and

procedures with a view to proposing improvements to help facilitate the flow of Hong Kong's international trade.

Known as the Trade Facilitation Committee, it comprises representatives from a wide selection of export and manufacturing associations as well as from chambers of commerce, airline, shipping and banking organisations and government departments.

The Committee is chaired by Mr. I.R. Tomlin of the Hong Kong Exporters' Association, with Mr. R.T. Griffiths of the Hong Kong General

Chamber of Commerce as the vice-chairman,

The secretary is Mr. Michael Wu, Assistant Trade Officer of the

Commerce and Industry Department.

The new committee replaces the ad hoc committee known as the

Hong Kong Working Party on Simpler Trade Documents which was set up six years ago under the sponsorship of the Trade Development Council.

At the Committee's inaugural meeting on April 25, the Deputy

Director of Commerce and Industry, Mr. J.D. McGregor, stressed the growing significance internationally of simplification and standardisation of trade documents and trade procedures.

He noted that almost all trading nations were cooperating through international agencies, such as the United Nations and the GATT, to bring about alignment of trade documents, and to simplify and standarise trade

procedures.

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