The 2025 ACTS Symposium looked to scale up smart, seamless cross-border trade in Southeast Asia. With a focus on digital transit, multimodal connectivity, and business inclusion, the event marked a new milestone for integration within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS) took center stage at the symposium, on the theme: Bridging Borders – The Future of ASEAN Customs Transit System. Some 162 participants came from across Southeast Asia and beyond, including customs and transport authorities, principal traders, logistics operators, and financial institutions. Together they engaged in a dynamic exchange of experiences, best practices, and forward-looking recommendations. They reaffirmed regional commitment to simplifying trade, enhancing border connectivity, and scaling up ACTS implementation. 

Since its launch in 2020, ACTS has facilitated over 645 cross-border movements across the seven participating ASEAN Member States, with movements increasing nearly 200-fold from 2021 to 2024. The system has reduced border delays, lowered transit costs, and improved predictability for traders and logistics operators. 

The symposium marked a key milestone in scaling these benefits—both by strengthening institutional collaboration and by mobilizing broader engagement across the private sector. Through practical demonstrations, testimonials, and consultations, the symposium outlined a clear path to scale up ACTS for connected, inclusive, and sustainable trade in the region.

Key priorities include:

• Expanding the user base to include more businesses, logistics providers, and financial institutions, making the system more accessible and commercially viable.

• Integrating multimodal and rail transport to support more flexible, cost-efficient, and low-carbon connectivity.

• Enhancing awareness and capacity through targeted outreach and training, ensuring all stakeholders—especially smaller operators—can fully engage with the system.

These efforts will help position ACTS as a driver of greener, smarter, and more inclusive trade across ASEAN.

The Symposium was organized by the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Member States in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) under the ASEAN SCOPE - Trade project funded by the European Union.