(1) customs and transportation facilitation, with its main component being the
adoption of international standards established by organizations such as the
WTO and the World Customs Organization (WCO);
(2) assistance to logistics service providers in ASEAN, including the support of
small- and medium-sized logistics enterprises and the establishment of
networks among logistics service providers in the region;
(3) human resource development for customs officials and the private sector; and
(4) infrastructure and investment, with the development of the ASEAN transport
logistics corridor as its principal focus.
ASEAN’s priority integration of logistics is a good example of setting a commercially
meaningful scope for logistics, covering both logistics services and customs related
issues (Challenge 2). Since ASEAN will fully integrate its logistics sector as a priority
sector, policy barriers to the supply of international logistics services within ASEAN
were set be eliminated by the end of 2013 as stipulated in the Logistics Protocol
(Challenge 5), although implementation on the ground remains a serious issue in some
countries. It is important to note that capacity building in logistics for SMEs is also
covered by this project (Challenge 8).