What is a Single Window?
Single Window is an electronic system that will dramatically simplify international trade procedures for both Trade and Government. It is a tool that will allow a business to submit once all the data required by Government to clear import or export goods. The following definition was agreed at the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
A Single Window is:
A facility enabling the provision of standardised information with a single body to fulfil all import, export and transit related regulatory requirements. If information is electronic then individual data elements should only be submitted once.
The potential savings for both Government and Trade are huge.
How does a Single Window work?
A Single Window might work like this. An exporter receives an export order for his goods, agrees the price and instructs carriers. He accesses Single Window via a central electronic portal. The Single Window will recognise what data is required, (depending on the nature of the transaction) and present the exporter with the necessary data items, ie all the data required across Government. The exporter keys in a unique reference for the whole shipment. As data becomes available the exporter (or his carrier, his shipper, his agent etc) keys in other items as necessary, but the important thing is that each separate data item is only required once. The Single Window collects the data and filters the relevant information to all Government Departments and Agencies. After the Government Departments process the data they respond to Single Window, which collates the replies and sends a single electronic response back to the exporter, allowing him to move his goods.
SITPRO is working to raise the profile of the Single Window concept internationally and chairs the International Trade Practices Working Group (ITPWG) at United Nations CEFACT, which has developed a Single Window Recommendation (Recommendation 33). This Recomendation is available from the UN/CEFACT website at http://www.unece.org/cefact/ recommendations/rec33/rec33_trd352e.pdf (pdf 375KB 
). The UN/CEFACT website has also created a repository of Case Studies on Implementing a Single Window (pdf 735KB ).
For further information about SITPRO's Single Window work, please contact Sue Bravery 
.
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