PM Transcripts

Press Statement by The Rt. Hon J. McEwen, Acting Prime Minister
and Minister for Trade and Industry
Mr. McEwen today commended the decision of Lines in the
U. K./ Continent Conference to further rationalize their service in
this trade. " Any reduction in transit time for goods, with a consequent
holding back of shipping costs, could only benefit the competitive
position of Australian exports in Australia's most important market
area", Mr. McEwen said.
The Minister also cited the decision as an example of the
benefits of a closed conference system which worked in close co-operation
with a representative shipper body, assisted by Government resea j
and analysis. In this case, " Mr. McEwen said," negotiations between the
Shipping Lines and the Shippers were greatly assisted by the initiative
of the Department of Trade Industry, which produced its " computer study"
in 1964. This study, designed and implemented by the Department of Trade
Industry and the Bureau of Census and Statistics, not only measured the
possible savings of such an operation, but also established the feasibility
cf scheduling the Conference fleet on a rationalized basis so as to lift
all available cargoes on a regular basis".
He anticipated that the implementation of the scheme would call
for the fullest co-operation from alL bodies engaged in liner cargo
shipping. He said that Australian exporters should welcome these new
efforts to contain the rising costs of overseas shipping, while recognisin,
that some adjustments to their traditional arrangements might be
necessary. Mr. McEwen also expressed his belief that this was the first
occasion that this technique had been used to ensure a co-operative
attack on conference shipping costs under normal commercial conditions.
" Clearly, Australian exporters to other areas and shipping lines
servicing those exporters will be watching this new move to improve
conference efficiency with keen interest," the Minister concluded.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.
6. 7.66.