ASEAN is set to enhance its trade efficiency and competitiveness by enabling electronic exchange of trade-related documents among AMS through ASEAN Single Window initiative. 

The ASEAN Single Window (ASW) is a regional initiative agreed by ASEAN Leaders at the Ninth ASEAN Summit (Bali, October 2003) as a step toward the realisation of an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The ASW is the environment that connects and integrates the National Single Window (NSW) of each ASEAN Member States (AMS) which will significantly expedite cargo and promote ASEAN economic integration. 

At the Eleventh ASEAN Summit (Kuala Lumpur, December 2005), ASEAN Economic Ministers had signed the Agreement to establish and implement the ASEAN Single Window (ASW Agreement), which was soon followed by the signing of the Protocol to establish and implementation the ASEAN Single Window (ASW Protocol) in 2006. The ratification of the Protocol on the Legal Framework to implement the ASW (PLF) and the endorsement of the amended ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) Operational Certification Procedures (OCP) were completed in 2017.

To AMS in the implementation of the ASW, the ASEAN Single Window Steering Committee (ASWSC) was established to:

1. Oversee the overall coordination and required synchronisation of actions at the national level and regional level policy to promote effective implementation and operation of the ASW; and

2. Consider the needs of future development of the ASW, including expansion of the ASW to accommodate the exchange of additional trade-related document through the ASW system, and also the possibilities to expand the ASW with Dialogue Partners.

The ASWSC is supported by two (2) subsidiary bodies, namely:

1. The Working Group on Technical Matters for the ASW (TWG), focusing on business process analysis and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system development; and

2. The Working Group on Legal Regulatory for the ASW (LWG), established to assist in the construction of the legal framework for the establishment, operation and expansion of ASW;

At the end of 2019, all ten (10) AMS have joined the ASW Live Operation. The ASW Live Operation will continue to open a vast window of opportunities for ASEAN within and across the region, including the exchange of more trade-related documents, such as ASEAN Customs Declaration Document (ACDD), electronic Phytosanitary (e-Phyto) Certificate and electronic Animal Health (e-AH) Certificate), through the ASW in the future.

AMS are also looking for the possibility to exchange trade-related documents with Dialogue Partners, including Australia, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, the United States, and New Zealand which have expressed interests in cooperation with ASEAN through the ASW environment.