| WFA welcomes bill to establish Australian trade measurement system |
| Wednesday, 24 September 2008 16:20 |
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The Winemakers' Federation of Australia (WFA) has welcomed the introduction by the Australian Federal Government of a National Measurement Amendment Bill. The legislation will establish a national trade measurement system to be administered by the Commonwealth from July 1 2010, replacing the current State and Territory system. WFA chief executive, Stephen Strachan, welcomed the legislation, which aims to simplify operations for the Australian wine industry. The new legislation will also establish the Average Quantity System (AQS) which is an internationally recognised system for confirming that pre-packaged items, including beverages, contain the stated quantities. "This is a very important measure and one which will save the Australian wine industry approximately $19 million per year," Mr Strachan said. "The Australian wine sector relies heavily on its export industry with 60% of its product being exported overseas. This measure will put Australia in line with other countries and increase our international competiveness. "This is something that the wine industry has been advocating for some time and we applaud the minister for small business, independent contractors and the service economy, Craig Emerson, for taking this important step," Mr Strachan said. AQS has already been adopted by many of Australia's major trading partners. Related Articles |
