A.—6a

130

SECOND REPORT. The Commercial Facilities Committee appointed by the Imperial Economic Conference at its meetings on Thursday, the 4th October, and Friday, the sth October, beg to make the following report. The following matters were referred to the Committee for consideration : —- (1.) Commercial intelligence services ; (2.) Commercial travellers' samples ; (3.) Trade catalogues and price-lists ; (4.) (a.) Certificates of valuation for Customs purposes ; (b.) Other matters connected with Customs formalities ; (5.) Statistics. The Committee have already submitted a report, dated the 13th October, dealing with items (1), (2), (3), and (4) (b) ; they hope to submit a further report very shortly dealing with'item (5) —Statistics. Certificates of Valuation for Customs Purposes. With regard to item (4) (a), the Committee have prepared the'following resolutions (Nos. V, VI, and VII —Resolutions Nos. I to IV, dealing with other matters, having been included in their First Report), which they suggest should be submitted for adoption by plenary meetings of the Imperial Economic Conference. To supplement these resolutions they attach an explanatory memorandum setting out the position in regard to certificates of valuation for Customs purposes as it existed at the close of the Imperial Customs Conference, 192!, together with particulars as to developments which have taken place since that date. Appended to this memorandum are copies of the invoices and certificates to be used— (a.) Where duty is levied on " current domestic value " or similar basis (Form A) ; and (b.) Where duty is levied on " invoice price " (Form B). Resolution V. Form A. A common form of invoice and certificate for use by exporters having been adopted by Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and Newfoundland, as well as by a number of colonies, the Conference strongly recommends, in the general interests of inter-Imperial trade, that the early adoption of an identical form may be sympathetically considered by all the other Governments throughout the Empire which levy duty on a system similar to that in force in the above-mentioned parts of the Empire. The Conference understands that legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Imperial Customs Conference has already been passed in Australia and New Zealand, and they venture to urge the passing of similar legislation in every case in which such may prove to be necessary. Resolution VI. Form B. The Conference has had before it a form of invoice and certificate which has been prepared as suitable for use in those parts of the Empire which levy duty on the invoice value of goods imported from other parts of the Empire, and require for this purpose a certified statement made by the exporter of the goods. The Conference strongly recommends, in the interests of inter-Imperial trade, the early adoption by all parts of the Empire which levy duty on the system in question of the form annexed to this Resolution —i.e., the invoice and certificate set out in Appendix II to the attached memorandum. Resolution VII. Certificate in regard to Postal Packages. The attention of the Conference has been drawn to the short form of certificate prepared by the Imperial Customs Conference, 1921, for use as establishing the origin of goods sent by parcel-post from the United Kingdom. It understands that this form has already been adopted by a number of the Dominions and colonies, and considers that in the interests of inter-Imperial trade the adoption of a similar form is desirable in the case of parcels arriving in one part of the Empire from another part. The Conference therefore strongly recommends that in the case of parcels sent by parcel-post the contents of which are of small value and arc not merchandise for sale the following short form of certificate should be adopted at an early date by all parts of the Empire concerned, as providing satisfactory evidence of the origin of the goods in cases where the production of such evidence entitles the goods to entry at a lower rate of duty than would otherwise obtain " The contents of this package are not merchandise for sale, and every article herein, to the extent of at least one-fourth of its present value, is bona fide the produce or manufacture of [Name of 'part of British Empire]. " Dated at this day of , 19.. .. " , Sender." Signed on behalf of the Committee. S.'J.^Chapiian,^Chairman. 22nd October, 1923.