Thilawa special economic zone and the single window

Transporting goods by sea remains the dominant move of importing and exporting merchandise and the amount of such movements was revolutionised by the containerisation, which standardised crate sizes on seagoing vessels and dramatically increased the efficiency of operations. Yet there are other constraints to efficient operations and such issues as customs clearance, tariffs and non-tariff barriers can all have a significant effect. The ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) aim to reduce delays and paperwork through the use of the National Single Window (NSW) concept that members should introduce as part of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). One affected port is at Thilawa special economic zone (SEZ) in Myanmar, which is being developed primarily by Japanese capital. It will need a deep-sea port that will be able to handle the rapidly-increasing number of container movements now taking place in Myanmar. Problems that must be faced are considered.