1968 - Planting the seeds
In August 1968, the National Economic Development Council set up the United Kingdom Committee for the Simplification of International Trade Procedures (the SITPRO Committee). Its report advises the creation of a Simpler Trade Procedures Board to take forward its thirty-two recommendations.
1970 - Creation
SITPRO, the Simpler Trade Procedures Board was established in 1970. Its original terms of reference were: "To study documentation in international trade and the commercial and governmental procedures associated with it, particularly in light of the widening use of computers and data links; and to make recommendations to assist the more efficient flow of trade"
1974 - A National Standard Shipping Note
SITPRO creates a standard aligned document, identical for all UK ports to replace the infinite variety of port receipts and other papers that proliferated between the points of origination and loading.
Following the major reform in port information systems brought about by this, SITPRO began to examine the role of ports as procedural interfacing points.
1976 - An aligned series of documents
SITPRO published a revised system of aligned documentation in the form of a handbook called Systematic Export Documentation.
1980 - The photocopier revolution
The first companies are licensed to sell the SITPRO overlay system which allowed shippers to produce a full range of key documents from one typing on ordinary photocopiers, largely avoiding the requirement for pre-printed forms.
1982 - The first letter of credit checklists
SITPRO produced two checklists aimed at improving the management of letters of credit. One was for use in export departments and one for export sales executives. The set was soon expanded to include one for export customers (importers).
1982 - A software solution
SITPRO launched an Export Consignment and Invoicing software package called SPEX, which could link to company data files reducing the need for re-keying when producing documents. It also incorporated calculation facilities and the ability to insert standard clauses in any language.
1984 - Documents for containers
The Standard Shipping Note and the Dangerous Goods Note, originally designed for general cargo, were adopted by the major container operators for use with full container loads.
1984 - Computer systems linked
The improved SPEX 2 software package included the ability to link to mulitple computer systems. It was also able to generate invoices and a master document for use with the overlay system and to print over forty documents directly.
1985 - A payment problem
SITPRO and Midland Bank published the results of the UK's most comprehensive and authoritative study into the letter of credit payment procedure. It showed that 50% of letters of credit failed, increasing UK exporters costs by some £60 million a year.
1985 - Translating data
SITPRO launched INTERBRIDGE, two suites of programs implementing both the Syntax rules, data interchange and the equivalent UN guidelines. It had the ability to format and deformat messages so that trade data could be transmitted and processed using direct computer-to-computer links.
1986 - A new standard
SITPRO's work on Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) helps create the UN/EDIFACT (United Nations EDI for Administration, Commerce and Transport) Messaging Standards. This allowed companies to send information directly between computer systems and helped the growth of automated systems among European trading partners.
1987 - Promoting the standards
SITPRO helped establish the EDI association to promote and implement the benefits of EDI. SPEX 3 was also released, incorporating the ability to send and receive data.
1988 - A single document
The Single Administrative Document (SAD), which SITPRO had worked on for several years, was launched replacing over 100 different Customs forms covering the movement of goods within the Common Market.
1988 - Educating Europe
SITPRO's familiarity with individual countries' procedures and controls placed it in a very strong position to assist in the move towards a single market. Therefore, SITPRO launched an education and action programme supporting European initiatives towards the creation of a single market.
1990 - Trade terms
Following its collaboration with the International Chambers of Commerce and the Freight Transport Association in the revision of INCOTERMS, SITPRO produces the first edition of its popular guides on the subject.
1993 - Advice for traders
SITPRO launched its Helpdesk service to give advice to traders in the early days of the Single European Market. It was later expanded to provide an advisory service on all aspects of movement and payment procedures for international trade.
1995 - A revised recommendation
A revised version of UN/ECE Recommendation 11 and a multimodal Dangerous Goods Note were submitted for final approval following work by the UN/ECE Trade Facilitation Committee , under SITPRO's chairmanship.
1996 - A European "PRO" organisation
In order to facilitate pan-European aspect of SITPRO's work a new organisation called EUROPRO was established in Brussels.
1996 - Singapore issues
SITPRO was among the contributors to the UK position for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting in Singapore, resulting in political recognition of the importance of trade facilitation and the role of the WTO in this area.
1997 - A transactional model
SITPRO helped develop the UN/ECE Trade Facilitation Committee's International Trade Transaction (ITT) Model, which provided an overall picture of an international trade transaction with a detailed explanation of the processes involved.
1997 - A ports review
SITPRO published its landmark ports report, which made twenty-two recommendations about improvements that could be made to UK ports procedures, including the establishment of a "single window" for trade data submissions to government.
1998 - A simplified declaration procedure
The final legal text for the revised World Customs Organisation (WCO) Kyoto Convention resulted in the adoption of SITPRO's proposals for simplified declaration procedures for world customs.
1998 - WTO begins talks on trade facilitation
SITPRO was invited to make its contribution to the first WTO symposium on trade facilitation, in preparation for a new round of global trade negotiations
1999 - Electronic and paper messages converge
In response to the growth of web-based technology, SITPRO launches the ElecTra "Toolkit" offering EDIFACT compliant messages compatible with the UK's aligned set of export documents.
1999 - A new SSN and DGN
Following a review of the Standard Shipping Note (SSN) and Dangerous Goods Note (DGN) new versions were released, accompanied by detailed completion guides.
2000 - Trade documents online
SITPRO licences the first pilots of WebElecTra, an online service to allow creation and completion of aligned export documents.
2001 - Reconstitution
SITPRO Ltd. was established as a Company Limited by Guarantee and became recognised as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB).
2002 - Securing the supply chain
SITPRO begins to address supply chain security in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks establishing a security forum for authorities and businesses from the EU and US to discuss these issues. SITPRO also joined work on implementation of the WCO's Resolution on security and facilitation.
2003 - Trade facilitation for developing countries
SITPRO and the Commonwealth Business Council organise a meeting in Johannesburg for emerging economies to discuss their concerns about beginning negotiations on a trade facilitation agreement in the WTO. This becomes the Boksburg Group which has built a solid reputation as a group that represents developing country views on trade facilitation.
2003 - A note of hope
SITPRO's conference following the collapse of WTO talks in Cancun gave cause for hope on the Doha Development Agenda as delegates agreed that the failure had not sounded the death knell for the negotiation process and ended with the hope that negotiations would resume shortly.
2004 - Recommending the Single Window
Through the International Trade Procedures Working Group at UN/CEFACT, SITPRO contributed to a Recommendation and Guidelines for establishing a Single Window. It gave government and business practical advice on designing, delivering and operating a Single Window.
2004 - Trade meets with Defra
SITPRO organises the first Defra Import/Export Consultation Exchange to allow Defra to consult with associations and trade groups; to exchange views; and to address issues.
2005 - UK Single Window work starts
SITPRO publishes a report highlighting the business benefits of an international single window for the UK. Work commences on the project as part of the Business.gov programme.
2005 - The next generation of trade data standards
SITPRO launches a standards-based data repository that brings together the internationally agreed standards for producing aligned Paper, EDI and XML international trade documents. It contains national implementations of the UNeDocs standards that SITPRO has helped UN/CEFACT to develop.
2006 - Security through authorisation
The European Commission agrees a roadmap for securing the supply chain including the introduction of an Authorised Economic Operator scheme.
2007 - Visiting the UK
SITPRO holds a programme of events around the UK to offer advice to traders including guides on the latest rules for letters of credit.
2007 - The burden of security
SITPRO finds that 88% of traders are experiencing increased business burdens due to the proliferation of security measures. This leads to the publication of a catalogue of all these security measures the next year, which outlined the scale of the problem.
2008 - Trade in services
SITPRO expands its work to include the services sector, promoting the expansion of the single window concept to meet the challenges of the European Services Directive.
2008 - Benefits for AEOs
SITPRO helps traders to understand what the new Authorised Economic Operator status might mean for their businesses and brings businesses and authorities from Europe and US together to discuss mutual recognition between their similar schemes.
2008 - Paperless trade for perishables
SITPRO publishes the "Project Hermes" report which establishes that paper documents in the supply chain are costing the perishable goods industry over £1 billion per year. It advocates the adoption of paperless trading techniques to reduce this cost.
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