Policy & Compliance
Rethinking UK customs tech: What follows the Single Trade Window?
Simon Adams (pictured), programme manager at ASM, explains that while the Single Trade Window was not fi t for purpose, its underlying objective of streamlining trade through smart data exchange remains valid
should shift toward inter-operable systems and data reuse. Most of the required data already exists within systems used by traders, carriers and customs brokers. What is missing is a joined-up approach across government departments. If existing systems, such as the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), could integrate securely with other government functions, such as the Home Office’s Safety & Security checks, it would eliminate redundant declarations, ease the burden on trade and improve data accuracy. From vision to practicality The EU’s Customs Data Hub, which sets a transformation timeline stretching to 2038, acknowledges how complex and far-reaching this kind of reform is. The UK needs to adopt a similarly practical approach, one that matches ambition with what is realistically achievable and financially sustainable. For freight forwarders, intermediaries and software providers, the key ask is simple: government systems that work with the technology already in place across the sector, not in addition to it. That means consistent interfaces, shared data models and, critically, joined-up government systems. Conclusion While the original STW may not survive in its current form, its underlying objective of streamlining trade through smart data exchange remains valid. What is needed now is a renewed commitment to inter- operability, pragmatism over politics, and a data infrastructure that supports the UK’s freight and logistics sector rather than hindering it. The potential benefits for trade, government and the wider economy are too significant to ignore.
T he Single Trade Window part of the 2025 Border Strategy, the government pitched it as a digital solution to simplify border processes and cut duplication. Freight forwarders, intermediaries, and software providers, including ASM, played an active role in shaping the early stages of its development through consultation and co-design (STW) once held real promise for UK trade. Introduced as sessions. But, despite the investment and the good intentions, progress faltered. The new government’s decision to ‘pause’ the STW project, citing fiscal pressures, followed a 2024 National Audit Office (NAO) report that highlighted serious flaws. Timelines were labelled “overly optimistic”, and the programme’s complexity was underestimated. Where did the STW go wrong? At its core, the STW aimed to create a single digital gateway for UK border interactions. It was going to consolidate fragmented processes and improve the overall efficiency of cross-border trade. Yet, aside from the encouraging ‘Modernising Authorisations’ stream, which was close to delivering real benefits to trade, little tangible benefit has been delivered. Indeed, the first release was to be a portal for traders to submit Entry Summary (ENS) declarations to the Safety & Security (GB) service. Rather than simplifying things, it would only have delivered another standalone channel for data input in an already siloed government IT ecosystem.
For freight professionals who have to deal with this complexity daily, the STW setback is frustrating but perhaps not unexpected. The reality: disconnected systems and duplication The UK’s current border landscape is fragmented. Government systems often fail to communicate effectively with one another, if at all. Some remain largely manual, while others use incompatible digital standards. As a result, data exchange becomes overly complex, increasing both risk and cost. Despite digital tools such as ASM’s Sequoia already helping the trade interface with government systems, traders still face duplication of efforts. Safety & Security declarations, for instance, require much of the same data already submitted via import declarations, yet are handled entirely separately. The way forward: data sharing The government’s pause offers a chance to take stock and rebuild smarter. Instead of pursuing a monolithic ‘tell us once’ platform, something not entirely compatible with the phased and distributed nature of supply chains, the focus
“ What is needed now is a renewed commitment to inter- operability, pragmatism over politics, and a data infrastructure that supports the UK’s freight and logistics sector rather than hindering it
14 | July 2025
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