Comparative analysis of four advanced single windows in Asia: Hong Kong, China; Japan; Republic of Korea and Singapore

The establishment of a single window is a crucial step in the move towards paperless trade, generating significant savings in time and money for companies as well as the different public bodies involved in foreign trade. Under the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization, which entered into force in 2017, all the Organization’s members committed to maintaining or establishing a single window. Asia is home to some of the world’s largest trading economies and to several of the most advanced single windows. This report analyses and compares the main functionalities of four: those of Hong Kong, China; Japan; the Republic of Korea and Singapore. The experience of these economies offers important insights for policymakers in Latin America and the Caribbean, where single windows are generally at a much earlier stage of development. Of particular interest is the inclusion in advanced single windows in Asia of several functionalities aimed at internationalizing micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, including by facilitating their participation in e-commerce.