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duties and the verification of values be so enforced as to tional transactions national importers and foreign 
give rise to no further difficulties ; and that in particular exporters be required to use only current descriptions 
customs inquiries and inspections in contradiction with on their customs declarations and not obliged to make 
economic interests and with the maintenance of commer- exact mention of the corresponding numbers of the 
cial good-will between the nations be absolutely avoided. customs schedule. 
5. The Trade Barriers Committee is unanimously of The Trade Barriers Committee notes that trade in 
opinion that it is primarily necessary to introduce sim- various food-stuffs is hampered by differences in legal 
plicity and stability in the classification of goods and provisions concerning the methods applied for their 
in the assessment of duties. It calls attention to the preservation and their use as food (for instance the 
fact that the majority of National Committees are trade in dried fruits, a very Important and cheap 
favourable to an unique tariff with duties subject to article of diet, is hampered by conflicting legal require- 
reduction by negotiation with the widest possible applic- ments as fegards the use of sulphur). 
ation of the most favoured nation clause. It considers ‘ . ‘ ; : 
this system as the most favourable to commercial negotia- It is of opinion that À would be possible to submit 
tion and to the suppression of international trade barriers. such matters to international regulation by an extension 
of the provisions of the Convention for the Simplification 
9, The National Commit are manimous She of Customs Formalities. 
sudden changes of customs tarljjs ought not to be made on } > ) 
account of the business instability such changes produce ; d The Trade Barriers Committee also discusses customs 
only a few National Committees have made reservations dues levied on gross wetg t or on nel weight, the traff 2 
in this matter, on account of the variations of their in_samples, £ ertificates of org and nationalizatio 7 
national currency. The Trade Barriers Committee of merchandise, nla of jie p recived the p ossibility 
is of opinion on principle that sudden increases of customs d ec ving of ef ask £3 be a f ford oinis. 
tariffs ought not to be ma de. re committee as aske ! e sub-committee on ustoms 
{technical questions) to continue the study of these questions 
When customs tariffs are raised the Trade Barriers which are of great importance to international business. 
Committee is of opinion that all goods already shipped 
should be admitted under the old tariff. 8. The Trade Barriers Committee notes that nearly 
all countries have adopted the most favoured nation 
7. The Trade Barriers Committee unanimously clause as the basis of their commercial policy, accompanying 
recommends that the Geneva Convention for the simplifi- it by tariff agreements which are rarely confined to only 
cation of Customs Formalities should be ratified at the a few classes of goods, 
earliest possible moment by States which have hitherto 
adopted an expectant attitude. It believes this convention 
capable of attenuating customs formalities. 
The Committee specially recommends to the Inter- 
In this connection the Trade Barriers Committee, national Chamber of Commerce for study the proposal 
in agreement with a proposal put forward by the Ger- of the Austrian National Committee concerning 
man National Committee, recommends that In interna- collective treaties of commerce. 
4