ATA Carnet Archives

Words of Praise

Published on February 7, 2014

Here’s a sampling of what our customers think about our service

 

“The reason that Carnets are so beneficial is that they eliminate the need to set up temporary import bonds (TIB) into a foreign country. There is also no outlay of any applicable duties and/or taxes. In addition, the one-time purchase of the Carnet removes clearance and bonding fees into the foreign country and upon return to the USA.”

– A representative of Mohawk Global Logistics

“The ATA Carnet is like a Magic Passport.”

– A representative of Rock-It Cargo

“The Carnet is a wonderful system…It allows us to take our samples to international fairs without the complications of customs import duties.  It has definitely enabled us to broaden our markets overseas.”

– A representative of J & S.S. De Young

“The use of an equipment Carnet makes traveling much easier, more efficient and simply just expedites the whole process.”

– A representative of CitiCam Film & Video Services

“With Vivid Collection’s participation in international exhibitions, carnets are an innovating and cost efficient way of sending high valuables to foreign countries without the burden of paying import taxes, duties or temporary bonds. Carnets are the future for international expansion.”

– A representative of Vivid Collection

“I am so happy to recommend USCIB.  We have used their services for importing and exporting professional equipment. … [The staff is] helpful and attentive and actually remembers their clients needs… We have never had a problem at an international border and I thank the people at USCIB.”

– A representative of NTV International Corp.

“Our company utilizes carnets on a frequent and “last-minute” basis. The entire online application experience is user-friendly and quick. … I am also very pleased with the new A4 type Carnets; they are easier to use and manage.   Preparation to ship time has been cut down with the elimination of copying and stapling the general list to each counterfoil.”

– A representative of Harry Winston, Inc.

“Carnet is an organized and trouble- free method of entering a foreign country with commercial samples.  Carnets make it easy to cross borders without tax and duty consequences.  Without the Carnet, we would be unable to travel the way we do today.”

– A representative of Almond International

“It takes the guesswork out of customs in every country.  Working with USCIB is a lifesaver.”

– A representative of Planet Billard

“USCIB is a major ‘safe haven’ for doing international business.  We have always had a rough time shipping our trade show booths internationally until now! … Our company appreciates all the help and dedication in making sure our international shipping is a breeze.  Thanks USCIB.”

– A representative of Skyline Displays of Pittsburgh

“The ATA Carnet is an invaluable tool to our international expansion.  Not only did it assist us when we first attended the Basel Show, but it continues today to be the best means to move our samples around the world.  We couldn’t do business around the world without it.”

– A representative of Henry Dunay Designs

”For ten years you have helped provide a happy ending to each of our international cultural exchange projects.  Our ATA Carnets always read like a drama: eleven giant nine-feet-tall puppets, six animal costumes, twelve pair of feet, two icebergs, a palm tree… Every year it’s a different show with a different carnet of giant one-of-a-kind puppets needing to be transported.  Your carnet makes the transportation of our equipment trouble free.  Thank you for helping us make the puppet theatre’s arrival spectacular!”

– A representative of BITS’ N PIECES THEATRE

“Oracle Corporation and its employees use Carnets as an effective ‘passport for goods’ which, by allowing easy cross international border flow of items such as trade samples and company equipment for use at trade shows, removes any potential customs delays.”

– A representative of Oracle Corporation

“Carnets are the secret weapon”

– A representative of Laufer Group International

Carnet and Export Related Information

Published on February 6, 2014

Carnets

 

Export

U.S. Federal Government

  1. U.S. Commerce Department
  2. U.S. State Department
  3. U.S. Treasury Department
  4. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  5. Export-Import Bank
  6. Small Business Administration (SBA)
  7. SBA’s Export Planner
  8. Overseas Private Investment Corp.

Intergovernmental Organizations

  • International Standards Organisation (ISO)
  • World Customs Organization (WCO)
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)

Other Trade Services

The Reading Room

What is a Carnet?

Published on February 6, 2014

ATA-Carnet-Logo(230x201)

Carnets, commonly known as “Merchandise Passports”, are international customs documents that simplify customs procedures for the temporary importation of various types of goods. In the U.S., two types are issued: ATA and TECRO/AIT Carnets.

ATA Carnets ease the temporary importation of commercial samples (CS), professional equipment (PE), and goods for exhibitions and fairs (EF). They facilitate international business by avoiding extensive customs procedures, eliminating payment of duties and value-added taxes (minimum 20% in Europe, 27% in China), and replacing the purchase of temporary import bonds.

TECRO/AIT Carnets, used between the U.S. and Taiwan only, appear similar to, and serve the same function as the ATA Carnet. TECRO/AIT Carnets result from a bilateral agreement between the US and Taiwan, covering only commercial samples (CS), and professional equipment (PE). Merchandise entering countries in addition to Taiwan may also be accompanied by an ATA Carnet.

Benefits of Carnets

  • Carnets save time, effort, and money.
  • One document – one application.
  • Good for one year.
  • Accepted in 80 counties and territories.
  • Covers commercial samples, professional equipment, and goods for exhibitions and fairs.
  • Eliminates duties, taxes, and temporary importation bonds (TIBs).
  • Payment in U.S. Dollars.
  • Paperwork in English.
  • Easy exit – easy re-entry.
  • No uncertainty, no hassles.

(Be aware that Carnets do not exempt holders from obtaining necessary licenses or permits.)

Merchandise Covered by Carnets

Virtually all goods, including commercial samples, professional equipment, and items for tradeshows and exhibitions, including display booths.

Ordinary goods such as computers, tools, cameras and video equipment, industrial machinery, automobiles, gems and jewelry, and wearing apparel.

Extraordinary items, for example, Van Gogh Self-portrait, Ringling Brothers tigers, Cessna jets, Paul McCartney’s band instruments, WorldCup class yachts, satellites, human skulls, and the New York Philharmonic.

Carnets DO NOT cover: consumable or disposable goods (e.g., food and agriculture products) giveaways, postal traffic or goods subject to repair.

Carnet Countries  &  Non-Carnet Countries

Countries are added to the ATA system periodically. Call to determine if the country to which the goods are traveling accepts Carnets.

*TECRO/AIT Carnets are accepted for goods traveling between Taiwan and the U.S. only.

Fees and Processing Time

There are three basic components to the Carnet application process:

  1. General list
  2. Carnet application, and
  3. Security deposit

Basic processing fees are determined by the value of a shipment. Fees range from $235-$475 and the normal processing time is between one and two working days, if the application and security deposit are received according to the Service Provider’s guidelines.

Payment terms are established by each Service Provider. Contact them for details.

As the National Guaranteeing Association, USCIB is required to take security, usually 40% of shipment value, to cover any customs claim that might result from a misused Carnet. Acceptable forms of security are certified check or surety bond. Cash deposits are returned in full and surety bonds are terminated upon Carnet cancellation. Service Providers are specialists in Carnet bonds and can provide detailed information about costs.

To apply for a Carnet:

Please contact one of our Service Providers

Industry Kiosk

Published on February 6, 2014

Air Shows

World Wide Air Shows
Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas
World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE)
Helitech

Fashion

Reading Room

www.wwd.com
www.apparelnews.net
www.fashionlines.com

Film

National film commissions address the use of Carnet. See what they have to say:

Canary Islands
France
Hong Kong
Korea

Singapore
Sweden
Thailand

Reading Room

www.variety.com
www.euro-pacific.com
http://www.cinematography.net/

Jewelry

Reading Room

www.jckgroup.com
www.modernjeweler.com
www.national-jeweler.com

Performing Arts

Carnets ease headaches for temporary exports

Carnet Materials

Top Ten Reasons to Use the Jewelry Passport
Speed through Customs
Selling the American Look

Carnet Usage: Upon Return to the U.S.

Published on February 1, 2014

Departing the US | Entering a Country | Departing a Country | Re-Entering the US
Transiting a Country | Upon Return | Know Before You Go | Glossary

 

  1. Your Carnet is the property of the USCIB.  Upon completion of the final trip, the ORIGINAL Carnet, together with all used and unused certificates MUST be returned to the Carnet Service Provider.
  2. Make a copy of all the pages of the Carnet for your records.
  3. Send the original Carnet to the Carnet Service Providers address. This address can be found on the bottom of both the front and back of the Carnets green cover.

St. Martin, French Side

Published on January 9, 2014

DISCLAIMER: USCIB makes every effort to keep information on this page up to date. Users are advised to consult with the local customs authorities of the country or territory in question to ensure accuracy and conformity with local laws. USCIB cannot be held liable for any incorrect or out-of-date information contained on this page.

 

St. Martin French Side flag

ST. MARTIN, FRENCH SIDE (MF)

Accepts ATA Carnets for:

  • Commercial Samples
  • Exhibitions and Fairs
  • Professional Equipment

Visit ST. MARTIN Customs at: http://www.douane.gouv.fr/

Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de région Paris Ile-de-France

22, rue Georges Picquart
75017 Paris, France

Tel: 33(0)1 55 65 36 19

E-mail: rgeorgin@cci-paris-idf.fr or fhenri@cci-paris-idf.fr or ldardaud@cci-paris-idf.fr

Website: www.entreprises.cci-paris-idf.fr

Special Considerations

We are unaware of specific requirements for Carnet use in St. Martin.

Trade Shows

Winter Olympics 2014 Sochi Games

Published on January 1, 2014
Sochi Winter Olympics
Sochi Winter Olympics
Sochi Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics 2014

Sochi, Russia February 7– February 23, 2014

Paralympic Winter Games

March 7 – March 16, 2014

If you are going to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games, here is some useful information to make your travels easier: Official Website of the Games

 

What You Should Know Before You Go

For DUTYFREE temporary entry of goods into Sochi, Russia, use an ATA Carnet to move your goods into Russia, contact the official freight forwarder of the Winter Olympics:

U.S. State Department:

Once You Arrive in Russia

For assistance with your Carnet while in Russia, contact:

Russian Chamber of Commerce
6 Iliynka Street
109012 Moscow, Russian Federation

Tel: (7-495) 620 03 92
Email: ata@tpprf.ru

Russian Customs Administration

Sochi Airport

ICC Survey to Assess SupplyChain Bottlenecks

Published on November 27, 2013

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), through its Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation, has launched an effort to identify the real-world issues business experiences in import and export that add cost, time and uncertainty to global supply chains. In order to assess these barriers, ICC has created a 10-question survey and is inviting companies of all sizes to complete it.

Please note that the survey will close on December 31. A full report will be written thereafter and shared with policy makers, provided the response is sufficiently broad.

Staff contacts: Kristin Isabelli

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

Brazil

Published on September 17, 2013

BRAZIL TERMINATED CARNET AS OF JANUARY 1, 2022

DISCLAIMER: USCIB makes every effort to keep information on this page up to date. Users are advised to consult with the local customs authorities of the country or territory in question to ensure accuracy and conformity with local laws. USCIB cannot be held liable for any incorrect or out-of-date information contained on this page.

 

Brazil Flag

BRAZIL (BR)

Visit Brazil customs at: http://idg.receita.fazenda.gov.br/information/

Bahrain Prepares to Implement ATA Carnet System

Published on September 13, 2013
Bahrain Customs Officials, Chamber staff and business community leaders at ATA Carnet workshop in Manama
Bahrain Customs Officials, Chamber staff and business community leaders at ATA Carnet workshop in Manama

In August, Bahrain took a solid step closer to implementing the ATA Carnet System when the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce hosted an ATA Carnet workshop in Manama, organized by the ATA Carnet Guarantee Association of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

ATA Carnets are international customs documents that allow goods to enter signatory countries and their territories tax- and duty-free for up to one year. (USCIB administers the Carnet system in the United States.) Bahrain ratified the international convention governing temporary admission of goods last year and has been working with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to understand and work towards implementing the system.

The United States already has a strong trade relationship with Bahrain which was cemented in 2006 with signing of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. “Though the FTA has nurtured the relationship between Bahrain and the United States, there is still room for additional growth,” according to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for trade services. Signs of this continued growth can be seen by Bahrain moving towards implementing ATA Carnet, she said.

Though the FTA eliminates most customs duties between the two countries, it does not prevent the imposition of import taxes on U.S. goods entering Bahrain. Full implementation of the ATA Carnet system will allow for both duty- and tax-free import and export for goods traveling on a temporary basis for sales meetings, demonstrations and/or trade shows. Once orders are secured with the help of the ATA Carnet, these same exporters can then take advantage of the FTA incentives.

Since the signing of the US-Bahrain FTA, bilateral trade has increased to more than $1.6 billion, as this agreement has allowed U.S. suppliers to be price-competitive in the region. Companies such as Harley-Davidson have eagerly taken advantage of new export opportunities under the FTA. The FTA has also created new opportunities for U.S. financial services, since Bahrain is a financial hub in the Middle East.

Bahrain is currently our 85th largest trading partner with $1.9 billion in two way trade of goods. More importantly to note that goods exported to Bahrain in 2012 totaled $1.2 billion giving the U.S. a goods trade surplus with Bahrain of $508 million. ATA Carnet implementation will only help continue to grow our trade relationship and specifically our exports to Bahrain.

Staff contact: Amanda Barlow

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service