ASEAN Customs Transit System launched on 2 November 2020
26 November 2020
On 2 November 2020, the ASEAN Customs Transit System (“ACTS”) was launched. The ACTS facilitates the cross-border transit movement of goods via land within the ASEAN region and will be implemented in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, subject to existing border measures imposed by respective countries during the current Covid-19 pandemic. With the launch of ACTS, businesses can look forward to time savings, cost reduction and better connectivity in moving goods via land across South-east Asia.
Overview of ACTS
ACTS enables goods to be transported by road under a single regime regardless of which ASEAN Member State (“AMS”) they depart from, transit through or arrive at. With a single truck, customs declaration and banker’s guarantee, traders can carry out a single transit journey across participating AMS. Customs administrations in each AMS are able to capture and track the status and movement of goods using a regional computerised customs transit management system.
Applications to Singapore Customs
Businesses that are interested to commence the ACTS trucking movement from Singapore to any of the participating AMS may apply to Singapore Customs to find out more about the application process.
All traders, including importers, exporters, transporters, freight forwarders and customs agents are eligible to use the ACTS to transport goods across borders. Traders must be registered as ACTS traders (Authorised Transit Traders (“ATTs”) or non-ATT) with the participating ASEAN Member States. Traders who are qualified to be ATTs will be given certain privileges that include permission to start transit movements from their own premises at departure, and to deliver to their own premises at destination.
Vehicles that are used to transport goods under the ACTS must each be allocated with the ASEAN Goods Vehicle Cross-Border Permit (AGVCBP).
Reference materials
The following reference materials are available on the MTI website www.mti.gov.sg, Singapore Customs website www.customs.gov.sg and ACTS website acts.asean.org: