To complement tariff measures, ASEAN’s Customs administrations have been simplifying customs procedures. Key initiatives are:
ASEAN Self-Certification: There are two pilot projects on self-certification for Certificates of Origin. These allow certified exporters to self-certify that their goods meet the ATIGA requirements and enjoy ATIGA preferential treatment. This reduces a company’s upfront administrative burden of applying for the Certificate of Origin Form D. The first pilot project was implemented in Nov 2010 and involves Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand. The second was implemented in Jan 2014 and involves Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN is working towards one ASEAN-wide self-certification scheme.
ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN): Implemented in 2003, the AHTN is a transparent and uniform goods classification system at the 8-digit level, based on the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System. ASEAN traders benefit from a unified and consistent way of classifying goods. The AHTN 2012 is the latest version implemented by all AMS. The AHTN is reviewed every five years, with the AHTN 2017 as the next version.
ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS): The ACTS is a fully computerised system for traders to lodge electronic transit declarations with AMS’s Customs administrations and for Customs administrations to exchange transit movement data. Traders need only make a single, standard, electronic declaration for each transit movement of goods to be covered by a single guarantee, valid in all the AMS involved in the transit.
ASEAN Single Window (ASW): The ASW is an environment where the 10 AMS’s National Single Windows (NSWs) will operate and integrate. Singapore’s NSW is TradeNet®. Each NSW will have: a single submission, synchronised processing of data and information, and a single decision-making system for cargo clearance. The ASW aims to expedite customs clearance, reduce transaction time and costs, and make trade seamless through the cross-border electronic exchange of information among AMS. For a start, the ASW will enable the electronic exchange of the ATIGA Certificate of Origin Form D among AMS so that preferential tariffs can be claimed faster.
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