HANOI, September 8, 2015 -- USAID welcomes the announcement of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) of the official launch of Vietnam’s National Single Window and the  integration with the ASEAN Single Window customs system.

“Vietnam deserves congratulations for a successful effort to implement the National Single Window. With today’s launch Vietnam regional economic integration has reached another milestone,” said USAID Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Parker. “This system is expected to accelerate the pace of customs clearance, thereby improving trade effectiveness and competitiveness of Vietnam and other ASEAN state members.”

USAID’s development cooperation supports many aspects of Vietnam’s efforts to increase competitiveness and broaden growth. With respect to single window objectives, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have closely worked with ASEAN member states over the last eight years to make the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) for customs clearance a reality. USAID supported the analysis of legal requirements in Vietnam and other countries. These reports helped ASEAN member states to better understand the national-level legal changes necessary to integrate their National Single Windows into the ASW. As a result of such efforts, ASEAN has launched the  electronic exchange of standardized trading documents among the ten ASEAN states as a central element of the ASEAN Economic Community.

The ASW is a unique regional initiative that connects and integrates National Single Windows of Member States. The ASW objective is to expedite cargo clearance within the context of increased economic integration in ASEAN. The main goals of the ASEAN Single Window initiative are simpler and faster processing time, and a more transparent way of doing business.