Five members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) recently shared their national experiences on using digitalization in their trade systems.One-Stop Shop for Trade Facilitation«This was discussed at the last meeting of the year of the WTO Trade Facilitation Committee, held from 22 to 24 October 2024 and chaired by Chanikarn Dispadung of Thailand.
The concept of a Single Window for Foreign Trade (SFT) has gained relevance in the trade facilitation agenda, since import and export procedures often involve multiple stages, documents, forms and the participation of various authorities. This fragmented process generates delays and high costs. To simplify it, countries that have ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) have committed to establishing a single window that allows traders to present the necessary documentation and data for the import, export or transit of goods through a single point of entry.
As reported by the WTO, the shared experiences in the implementation of its one-stop shops are the following:
Asia:
- China: Innovation in the single window driven by digitalization and new technologies.
- Japan: Experience in the Single Window for Trade Facilitation.
America:
- El Salvador: Advances in the digitalization of the single window.
- Jamaica: UNCTAD roadmap for the development of a single trade window.
Europe:
- Georgia: Implementation of the national maritime single window as a path towards digitalization.
This exchange of experiences highlighted the benefits of digitalisation in international trade and the commitment of WTO members to reduce trade barriers through innovative and collaborative tools.
Also, the Facilitation Committee organized a session on October 24 dedicated to the technical assistance and capacity building, which facilitated interaction and exchange of ideas among beneficiary members, donors and international development partners.
In this context, members were updated on progress in technical assistance and capacity building support for the period 2024-2026. This included a report on the status of the Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility, created to assist developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) in implementing the TFA.
The WTO Secretariat presented a report on the status of ratification and implementation of the TFA. Notifications from developing countries and LDCs indicate that they have currently committed to complying with the 79% of their obligations under the TFA, while developed countries were to implement all provisions of the agreement from its entry into force.
In addition, members continued to discuss a revised version of a Committee document entitled “Good practices and building blocks for the success of national trade facilitation committees", which seeks to reflect the experiences shared by members and international organizations in this area.
In an effort to maximize the value of shared information, Upcoming meetings The Committee's meetings will take place on March 12 and 13, June 4 and 5, and October 21-23. 2025system. (WTO News)
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