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A platform to build a
Single Window for Trade

Single Windows for Trade powered by ASYCUDA facilitate trade by providing a unified digital platform for seamless data exchange among traders, customs authorities, and regulatory agencies. These platforms integrate ministries, border control entities, and private-sector participants, eliminating redundant submissions, standardizing documentation, and enabling full visibility across the entire trade lifecycle. By accelerating clearance procedures, lowering compliance costs, and fostering robust inter-agency collaboration, ASYCUDA powered Single Windows for Trade align fully with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and the WCO data model. Successfully implemented in over 13 countries, they have significantly streamlined cross-border operations while enhancing transparency, efficiency, and institutional accountability.

Single Window definitions

 How to Distinguish SW from SSP and TIP

National Single Window - NSW

Rec. 33

Transactions: B2G, G2G, G2B

Operation: Public domain

  • Tariff and non-tariff regulatory compliance (including duty/fee calculations and their e-payment or remittance control)

  • Application of sanitary, veterinary and sanitary-phytosanitary quarantine measures; safety/security

  • Management of quota levels; intellectual property rights; submission of supporting documentation

Complementary & Interoperable Services

Single Submission Portals - SSP’s

Rec. 37

Transactions: B2B, B2G, G2B

Operation: Private domain

Services:

  • Single entry & single submission

  • Transport

  • Logistics

  • Financial

​Types of SSP’s:

  • Port Community Systems (PCS)

  • Freight Forwarder Systems (FFS)

  • Cargo Community Systems (CCS)

Trade Information Portal- TIP

Rec. 38

Information:

  • Laws, regulations and  other legal instruments relating to trade and compliance

  • Electronic forms and messages for applications for LPCO’s, customs declarations, etc

  • List of codes used in electronic forms, messages, applications, declarations, etc

  • Information on how to connect to NSW, AW, etc

  • Tariff and non-tariff measures, advance rulings etc

International Standards

Single Window vs Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)

TFA_EN.png

Article 1

Publication and Availability of Information

Article 3

Advance Rulings

Article 4

Procedures for appeal or review

Article 5

Other Measures to Enhance Impartiality, Non-discrimination and Transparency  

Article 6

Disciplines on Fees and Charges

Article 12

Customs Cooperation

Article 11

Freedom of Transit

Article 10

Formalities Connected with Import, Export and Transit

Article 8

Border Agency Cooperation

Article 7

Release and Clearance of Goods

Implementation guidelines

1

Stakeholder engagement

  • Explain the risks, rewards and everybody’s roles

  • Convince stakeholders to establish a strong consensus and appropriate ownership

2

Public authority engagement

  • Commitment from high-level decision makers is a key factor for success
    (provision of human resources, remove reluctance to change, communicate)

3

Mobilization and securing of financial resource

  • Importance of feasibility study: estimation of financial resource and definition outcomes

4

Project team setup

  • Skills, experience, full-time

  • Hierarchy definition, decision-making, responsibilities and communication methods

  • Must master subject matter, technical aspects, participate in writing functional specifications, testing, carry out training, identify focal points, follow implementation and keep deadlines

5

Steering committee setup

  • Steering committee: Decision-making and arbitration

  • In charge of executing project activities (project execution, action plan, etc.)

  • Other committee: Technical committee, etc.

6

Processes analysis and re-engineering

  • Analyse and propose improvements, simplifications and automation

  • Absence of analysis and/or re-engineering of processes: minimal results

7

Implementation strategy: 3 approaches

  • In-house development

  • Choice of a service provider and operational oversight capacity

  • Choice of a service provider in the form of concession

8

Preparation of specifications

  • List requirements and constraints (SRS etc.) (technical, organizational, operational)

9

Delivery and deployment

Electronic Single Window 

A Single Window for Trade is a facilitation instrument designed to substantially simplify, standardize, integrate, coordinate, and automate the exchange of regulatory information and documentation between traders and the multitude of Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) involved in controlling the movement of goods across international borders. It also facilitates the exchange and processing of such information between the agencies themselves, with the key objective of reducing both the time and cost.

Standardization of documents

Data harmonization

Optimization of controls and planning

Facilitation of border procedures with e-documents

Reduction of cost

and processing time

for import/export

Simplification

of procedures

Dematerialization

of paper documents

Electronic data exchange between trade partners

custom user

Customs clearance to Single Window

eSW_infographic_EN.png

Importers & exporters

Carriers & freight forwarders

Customs brokers

Technical controls

Endangered species (eCITES)

 Human health

Warehouse &

transit shed

Banks & finance

Airport, port & rail

Medicine products

eSW

Phytosanitary
& food control

Environment & ODS

Cash control

Intellectual property

Products safety

Dual use items & technologies

Chemicals & POPs

Environment & waste

Drugs precursors

National treasures & cultural goods

From customs clearance
to National and then Regional Single Window

Regional-and-National-SW_EN.png

National customs-centric electronic Single Window with ASYCUDAWorld

Platform independent exchange of customs and trade data

Regional
Single Window  Powered by

National customs-centric electronic Single Window

Single Window examples

Jamaica

Results and Impact
in Jamaica

e-SW launched in 2020

​

  • „10+ PGAs

  • „60+ e-services

  • „85% of certificates of origin processed and approved within 24h

  • „Reduction of paper use

  • „Reduction of delays and associated costs

  • 1 billion JMD saved by Customs since 2016 through paperless transactions

Timor-Leste

Results and Impact
in Timor-Leste

e-SW launched in 2021 

​

  • „13 PGAs

  • „Link with Portuguese-speaking countries

  • „Reduced physical trips by investors between customs and TradeInvest by 90%

  • „Reduced paper usage by around 80%

  • Processing times of import and export permits for animals and plants reduced by 85%

Rwanda

Results and Impact
in Rwanda

e-SW launched in 2012

​

  • „28 PGAs and 520 clearance agencies

  • „1,544 declarants and 2,369 total users

  • „Reduced customs clearance times from 11 days to now under a day

  • „Cost of clearance reduced from approx. $35 to approx. $5 in just one year period

Turkmenistan

Results and Impact
in Turkmenistan

e-SW launched in 2023

​

  • 22 PGAs

  • 100% of country's imports and exports processed electronically

  • 5,000+ users and accounts

  • 1,000+ declarations processed daily

  • 50% reduction in submissions processing time

  • Declarations processed 14 times faster

  • 84% of imports and 69% of transit shipments information submitted in advance

Roadmap for building a trade Single Window

  • Blueprint for setting up a sustainable and efficient one-stop shop for trade procedures in line with national needs

​

  • Based on ASYCUDA’s extensive experience in 11 countries

​

  • Source for updating WCO's Single Window Compendium

​​

Single window roadmap
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