Fourth Symposium on the ASEAN Single Window: The Way Forward

BANGKOK, 24 June, 2019?The ASEAN Secretariat, together with ASEAN-USAID Inclusive Growth in ASEAN through Innovation, Trade and E-Commerce (ASEAN-USAID IGNITE), and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, held the fourth symposium on the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) and National Single Windows in Bangkok today, bringing together 80 participants including government officials, leaders in the private sector, and trading community representatives from all ASEAN Member States.

Themed -The Way Forward-, the one-day forum highlighted future possibilities and discussed the exchange of trade-related and other kinds of documents with countries outside the region. Participants provided an update on the ASW implementation and discussed how best to expand the benefits of the ASW.

The ASEAN Single Window is a regional platform that allows for the electronic exchange of shipment information between traders and governments and between exporting and importing countries. It expedites the cargo clearance process, reduces the cost and time of doing business, and enhances trade efficiency and competitiveness via electronic document-sharing.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Economic Community Dr. Aladdin Rillo said: this ASW symposium will provide Member States officials and private sector participants the opportunity to have frank discussions about the development and implementation of the ASW. This will allow the Member States to focus on how best to facilitate trade in ways that are most important to the private sector.

On her part, USAID-ASEAN Affairs Director at the U.S. Mission to ASEAN Julie Chen said: the United States, through USAID, is pleased to be ASEAN partner of choice in its quest to promote inclusive economic growth. The groundbreaking ASEAN Single Window Platform will secure information exchange between nations, increase trade transparency, and reduce cost. She added that: strengthening ASEAN countries interconnectivity will enhance prosperity and jump-start development across ASEAN and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Arin Jira, chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council said: the ASEAN Business Advisory Council is proud to sponsor the ASW symposium for a second year as it provides businesses from around Southeast Asia an opportunity to help guide ASEAN signature trade facilitation effort.

Six ASEAN Member States are currently exchanging electronic certificates of origin through the ASW. This means that importers no longer have to wait for hard copies of certificates of origin to arrive and can clear their goods more quickly.