BACKGROUND BRIEFING FOR PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG, JANUARY 1974
2. LIBERALISATION OF TRADE
GATT
Britain more than most countries has a deep and longstanding interest in the expansion of world trade. We, like other members of the European Community, approach the GATT multilateral negotiations determined to make a worthwhile further advance in the liberalisation of world trade and we regret the delay we must now expect before substantive negotiations
begin.
We recognise that expansion of world trade is a two way business. We see the need to be a good buyer as well as a good supplier. Only in this way would we get the true international trading partnership on which much of the future advance of the world economy must depend.
(Lord Strathcona, 28 November 1973)
TRADE PROCEDURES
In the Government's view the existing trade procedures, both in Europe and worldwide, present a very real impediment to the speedy passage of
The goods which modern transport methods would otherwise now permit. procedures and the associated documentation have just not kept up with developments in transportation like airfreight, containerisation,
roll on/roll off and other forms of unitised cargo systems. There are very real benefits to be gained for all trading nations from a simpli- fication and harmonisation of trade procedures.
The United Kingdom is putting a good deal of effort into work in this Importan aspects of it are field, both within Whitehall and outside. drawn together in the work of Simplification of International Trade Procedures (SITPRO) Board under the Chairmanship of Lord Thorney croft.
It is, however, by definition an international matter where progress
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