Majority of European firms operating in ASEAN found the region’s supply chain efficiency acceptable, but only a handful said that customs procedures are “speedy and efficient”, according to the latest EU-ASEAN Business Survey published by the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC).
For the first time since this topic was introduced in 2020, the survey showed that majority or 61 percent of respondents from 41 percent in 2024 found customs procedures to be acceptable, but with room for improvement.
In previous years, respondents were split on the issue, with roughly equal numbers in the “acceptable” and “overly burdensome” camps. It is undoubtedly a positive development that more than 60 percent now say customs procedures are acceptable, and a strong indication that progress has been made to reduce inefficiencies across the region.
This also aligns with the slight increase in the share of respondents who say procedures are “speedy and efficient” from 2 percent in 2024 to 3 percent in 2025.
EU companies, however, also noted that while this is certainly welcomed, it is important to note that 3 percent is still barely a handful.
This means European businesses overwhelmingly feel that there is significant room for improvement. Thus, the importance of maximising efficiency and streamlining procedures cannot be overstated, the survey stated.
In 2025, fewer respondents (77%) report that there are too many barriers to the efficient use of supply chains in ASEAN.
This is a positive change from 2024 (88%), which could mean that the situation has improved, albeit slightly, for European businesses in the past year.
However, there remains a strong majority who say there are too many barriers, underscoring that more work still needs to be done to address customs inefficiencies, inconsistent standards, and regulatory
misalignment across ASEAN Member States – all of which continue to hinder seamless intra-regional trade.
