XN000022-1987-10-29 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1987

MR DEUKMEJIAN SAID HE HAD INVITED HONG KONG AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC REGION TO CALIFORNIA "TO JOIN US IN PROMOTING THE EXPANSION OF TRADE, INVESTMENT AND OTHER

VITAL EXCHANGES.

MR LAM ALSO TOLD THE MEETING THAT AS A RESULT OF SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE TERRITORY IS EXPECTING A 12 PER CENT GROWTH IN 1987 AND WILL EVOLVE AS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CITY IN THE PACIFIC REGION IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION ALSO INCLUDED THE CONSULTANT OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICE IN SAN MR BOB ASHWORTH, AND THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE IN LOS ANGELES, MR PETER LEUNG.

PRINCIPAL FRANCISCO, COUNCIL'S

HARMONIZED SYSTEM FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT

DECLARATION STARTS IN JANUARY

HONG KONG WILL IMPLEMENT THE HONG KONG HARMONIZED DESCRIPTION AND CODING SYSTEM FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT PURPOSES AS FROM JANUARY 1, 1988.

COMMODITY DECLARATION

BY

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE JOINTLY CONDUCTED THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT AND THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE HARMONIZED SYSTEM IS A COMMODITY DESCRIPTION AND CODING SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL, AND WILL REPLACE THE STANDARD INTERNATIONAL TRADE CLASSIFICATION (SITC) SYSTEM CURRENTLY IN USE.

ACCORDING ΤΟ THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, DR RICHARD BUTLER, MANY OF HONG KONG'S TRADING PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE

GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF

AND JAPAN PLAN ADOPT THE HS FOR CUSTOMS TARIFF AND STATISTICAL PURPOSES.

ΤΟ

THE USA IS STILL AWAITING APPROVAL BY CONGRESS, LIKELY TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW SYSTEM IN 1988, HE SAID.

BUT

IT

IS

AND

"BY ADOPTING THE HS IN SYNCHRONISATION WITH OUR MAJOR TRADING

TERMINOLOGY WITH THEM PARTNERS, HONG KONG WILL SHARE A CUSTOMS COMMUNICATION WITH OVERSEAS BUYERS AND SELLERS WILL BE FACILITATED, HE SAID.

IMPORTERS AND