ATA Carnet Archives

Moldova joins the ATA Carnet system

Published on July 1, 2010

3990_image002New York, N.Y., July 1, 2010 – Moldova will become the 67th country to join the ATA Carnet system, which permits the temporary importation of various types of goods without duties or taxes. Known as “merchandise passports,” ATA Carnets are an increasingly important tool for businesses engaged in international commerce.

With a modest recovery predicted for the Moldova economy in 2010, entering the Carnet system is a strong signal that the country is committed to promoting economic growth and openness, and to becoming a major trade participant, according to the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which administers the Carnet system in the United States.

“Extension of the Carnet network into the former Soviet bloc nations is a major priority for the worldwide system and particularly for our European counterparts,” said Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations. “This will increase access to the Moldavian market and further meet the demands of U.S. exporters with an interest in the region.”

ATA Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows.  They are essential for companies seeking to reduce costs and speed global operations.  (The acronym “ATA” is a combination of the French and English abbreviations for “temporary admission.”)

Moldova will waive import duties on professional equipment, goods for exhibitions and fairs, and commercial samples. ATA Carnets will not be accepted for transit operations, postal traffic, nor unaccompanied goods.  ATA Carnets will be guaranteed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova.

Carnets are honored in over 80 customs territories and can be used for multiple trips during a one-year period.  The global ATA Carnet system is overseen by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce.  USCIB administers the Carnet system in the United States, working with service providers Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., and the Corporation for International Business.

In 2009, over 150,000 Carnets were issued worldwide, covering goods valued at almost 15 billion dollars.  Before Moldova, Montenegro was the most recent addition to the family of nations accepting ATA Carnets, having joined the system in 2008.

USCIB promotes an open system of world commerce.  As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including ICC, it provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide.  USCIB facilitates international trade by issuing and guaranteeing ATA Carnets, by promoting international cooperation in such areas as customs policies and commercial dispute resolution, and through its ICC Books USA unit, which publishes a variety of publications on to international trade and investment.

Contact:

Cynthia Duncan, SVP Carnet Operations, USCIB
(212) 703-5079 or cduncan@uscib.org

 

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova website website

USCIB Champions World Trade Week in New York

Published on May 21, 2010
Awards breakfast keynote speaker Joseph Quinlan (left) is introduced by USCIB President Peter Robinson.
Awards breakfast keynote speaker Joseph Quinlan (left) is introduced by USCIB President Peter Robinson.

World Trade Week, a nationwide celebration of international trade, was observed during, before and after the week of May 17 in many cities across the country.  Building upon our leadership on trade issues in the New York City area, USCIB proudly served as a main organizer of World Trade Week NYC, under whose auspices numerous trade-themed events took place around the city and the region.

This year’s festivities took on extra importance in light of President Obama’s goal, announced during the State of the Union address, of doubling U.S. exports within five years.  USCIB and other business groups applauded this goal, which got a boost from newly released export figures.

At a kickoff awards breakfast held at Baruch College in Manhattan, several New York-area companies and organizations were honored for international achievements and growth.  Joseph P. Quinlan, economist and chief global market strategist with Bank of America, provided keynote remarks emphasizing America’s continuing role as the world’s top exporter and manufacturer, and the importance of pursuing sensible policies to maintain that advantage by expanding opportunities for trade and investment overseas.

Calling himself a “paranoid optimist” on trade, Mr. Quinlan applauded the president’s goal of doubling exports but wondered if America’s political leaders had the will to see it through in terms of concrete policies and new trade agreements.  On this score, he urged the swift ratification of pending U.S. free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama.  Mr. Quinlan also said the United States lagged Europe and Asia in viewing expanded trade and overseas investment as essential public policy objectives.

USCIB’s Amanda Barlow (second from left) and guests at the awards breakfast. (Photo: Marcela Solano)

U.S. exports of goods and services increased by 16 percent during the first quarter of 2010, the Commerce Department announced the day after the awards breakfast.  “This is a great progress report,” said Fred P. Hochberg, head of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.  “What it really says is that there are significant opportunities globally for both large and small U.S. businesses.”

Meanwhile, a new survey by American Express signaled good news for business travel in the months ahead.  The majority of nearly 500 senior finance executives surveyed worldwide said they intend to maintain or increase business travel spending in 2010.

That dovetailed with a recent pickup in USCIB’s ATA Carnet service, which permits temporary export of many goods for trade shows, products demonstrations and other uses.  Carnet usage, which often serves as a leading indicator of exports, took a big hit alongside trade as a whole following the onset of the 2008-2009 recession, but has rebounded lately.

USCIB also organized a seminar on “Managing Your Trade Risk in Today’s Global Economy,” which examined the critical importance of risk mitigation for exporters and importers as we emerge from recession.  Speakers included: Dennis Gates of Roanoke Trade Services, who reviewed the global outlook on trade as well as insurance products to protect international transactions; Andrea Ratay of HSBC, who discussed the bank’s trade confidence index, which has also shown positive signs; and USCIB’s Amanda Barlow, who discussed how ATA Carnets can help exporters avoid costly duties, taxes and currency fluctuations.

As World Trade Week got under way, USCIB issued a call to action , urging members and friends to contact their elected representatives to voice their support for expanded trade and international commerce as essential drivers of U.S. jobs, growth and competitiveness.  In addition, in a podcast on the website of the Council on Foreign Relations, another World Trade Week partner, Jonathan Huneke, USCIB’s vice president for communications and public affairs, addressed the importance of sensible policies to secure the benefits of international trade and investment.

Staff contact: Cynthia Duncan

Interview with USCIB’s Jonathan Huneke (Council on Foreign Relations website)

World Trade Week NYC website

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

USCIB’s Carnet Service Reaches Out to Smaller Exporters

Published on December 8, 2009

3951_image002Building on four decades of U.S. growth, the Carnet service is broadening awareness and use among smaller companies of “merchandise passports,” which enable exporters and global companies to avoid paying duties and taxes on goods taken abroad temporarily for trade shows, product demonstrations and as professional equipment.

The Carnet system celebrated its 40th anniversary in the United States in 2009.  According to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations, the goal in the current small-business push is to help create jobs by getting exports growing again.  “Trade is essential for our economy to prosper, and ATA Carnets can make it easier for smaller companies to make inroads into overseas markets,” she observed.

Addressing USCIB’s October 8 Annual Dinner, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke extolled the virtues of the Carnet program, saying it fit closely with the Obama administration’s goal of creating a whole new generation of U.S. exporters.

“Right now, U.S. companies aren’t anywhere near maximizing their export potential,” Mr. Locke said.  “Ninety-seven percent of U.S. exporters are small- and medium-size businesses, but they only account for 30 percent of export value.  Meanwhile, of all the American businesses that export, 58 percent export to only one country.  We can do a lot better.  We’re looking forward to working with the Council to help educate U.S. companies about the ATA Carnet system.”

In September, building on an agreement signed earlier this year with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Amanda Barlow, USCIB’s Carnet development manager, provided training in the use of Carnets to the department’s Trade Information Center.  In early November, ATA Carnet exhibited at the 2009 National District Export Council conference in Washington, D.C., where information sessions and events addressed the importance of lifting trade sanctions for American businesses to thrive.

Ms. Barlow continued outreach and training for U.S. Export Assistance Centers around the country. At the Northern Kentucky International Trade Association’s Trade Education seminar, she spoke about how Carnets can save American businesses time and money when implementing exporting or growing their current export market share.

Staff contact: Amanda Barlow

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

Commerce Department export assistance center (www.export.gov)

Carnet Export Service Builds Brand Awareness Among Smaller Companies

Published on October 27, 2009
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke praised the Carnet program at USCIB’s Annual Dinner.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke praised the Carnet program at USCIB’s Annual Dinner.

Throughout 2009, USCIB has been celebrating four decades of the ATA Carnet service in the United States.  But we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels as we seek to broaden awareness and use of these invaluable “merchandise passports,” which enable exporters and global companies to avoid paying duties and taxes on goods taken abroad temporarily for trade shows, product demonstrations and as professional equipment.

Addressing USCIB’s October 8 Annual Dinner, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke extolled the virtues of the Carnet program, saying it fit closely with the Obama administration’s goal of creating a whole new generation of U.S. exporters.

“Right now, U.S. companies aren’t anywhere near maximizing their export potential,” he said.  “Ninety-seven percent of U.S. exporters are small- and medium-size businesses, but they only account for 30 percent of export value.  Meanwhile, of all the American businesses that export, 58 percent export to only one country.  We can do a lot better.  We’re looking forward to working with the Council to help educate U.S. companies about the ATA Carnet system.”

In September, building on an agreement signed earlier this year with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Amanda Barlow, USCIB’s Carnet development manager, provided training in the use of Carnets to the department’s Trade Information Center.  Soon she will begin outreach and training for U.S. Export Assistance Centers around the country, with a webinar next month for the Northeast network.

According to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations, the goal is to help create jobs by getting exports growing again.

“Trade is essential for our economy to prosper, and ATA Carnets can make it easier for smaller companies to make inroads into overseas markets,” she observed.

Staff contact: Amanda Barlow

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

Commerce Department export assistance center (www.export.gov)

 

Winter Olympics 2010

Published on October 1, 2009

Winter Olympics 2010

Vancouver, Canada | February 12 – February 28, 2010

Paralympic Games

March 12 – March 21, 2010

Canada
Winter Olympics 2010 Banner

If you are going to Vancouver Canada for the 2010 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 Vancouver, Canada, use an ATA Carnet

To move your goods into Canada, contact the official freight forwarder of the Winter Olympics: DB Schenker

Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Canadian Consulates in the U.S.

U.S. State Department:

Exchange rate (US Dollar to Canada Dollars CAD)

Once You Arrive in Canada

For assistance with your Carnet while in Canada, contact:

Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Tel: (1-613) 238.4000
Email: carnet@chamber.ca

Canada Customs Administration
2010 Imports Logistic Field Team
Troy Skolrood and Brenda Miller
1st Floor, 222 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5R4
Phone: (604)-666-4504
Email

Vancouver Airport

ATA Carnet Goes Live on Twitter

Published on September 28, 2009

ATA_Carnet_40thThe ATA Carnet is debuting in the virtual community with weekly updates on www.twitter.com/ATACarnet.  We will be tweeting about Carnet and industry news, as well as events of interest to the U.S. exporter community.  Come follow us!

In other news, USCIB’s ATA Carnet export service continues its outreach and training with regular client visits, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection training.  The most recent port we visited was Miami, where USCIB’s Chris Gillard, coordinator for U.S. Customs & Border Protection training, trained over 120 Customs officers during three sessions at Miami airport, followed by three more sessions at Fort Lauderdale airport.

Amanda Barlow, manager for Carnet development, has been invited by the Department of Commerce to talk about ATA Carnets to the Northern New Jersey export community on September 30.   For more information, visit www.buyusa.gov/nnj/basicexportregulations.html.

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet export service

USCIB Twitter page

ATA Carnet Service Reaching Out to the Export Community

Published on June 22, 2009
Carnet representatives, Small Business Administration officials and Customs officers-ud-736-UD-736 at a USCIB briefing during World Trade Week
Carnet representatives, Small Business Administration officials and Customs officers-ud-736-UD-736 at a USCIB briefing during World Trade Week

With use of the ATA Carnet service for temporary exports declining along with overall U.S. trade, USCIB is taking a number of steps to strengthen the worldwide Carnet system, and we are reaching out to new partners to ensure it can rebound once the recession is over.

ATA Carnets are export documents that permit duty-free, tax-free entry of various types of goods into 65 countries and their territories for up to one year.  Overall, Carnet usage is down between 10 and 20 percent worldwide.  USCIB is doing its part to maintain the health of the global system despite the economic downturn.

On April 6 and 7, we hosted the meeting of the Executive Committee of the World ATA Carnet Countries  at our offices in Midtown Manhattan.  Topics for discussion included potential new member countries, including Brazil, promoting Carnet use worldwide, and the possible impact of the U.S. “10+2” rules. The meetings concluded with celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Carnets in the United States by enjoying a few of New York’s classic landmarks.

Carnets are especially useful for taking goods to overseas trade shows, for product demonstration and for transporting professional equipment.  The system is overseen by the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce.  USCIB is the national guaranteeing association in the United States, and we issue Carnets for U.S. exporters directly from our New York headquarters and via a network of service providers nationwide.

USCIB’s Amanda Barlow at the National Customs Brokers conference
USCIB’s Amanda Barlow at the National Customs Brokers conference

Also in April, USCIB’s Amanda Barlow visited U.S. export assistance centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco, explaining how Carnets help U.S. exporters get their goods into foreign markets, while Christopher Gillard organized training sessions for some 80 U.S. Customs officers-ud-736-UD-736 at Los Angeles International Airport.  Meanwhile, USCIB exhibited for the third consecutive year at the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America’s annual conference, providing excellent visibility and forging strong relationships with this important segment of the trade community.

During World Trade Week In May, the 40th anniversary of the ATA Carnet system in the United States was marked as USCIB was awarded the Department of Commerce’s export appreciation award at a well attended breakfast in New York.  “Companies of all sizes use Carnets to operate smoothly across borders,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson in accepting the award.  “They can help pave the way for new overseas sales, which are more important than ever as we seek to get our economy out of recession.”

As part of World Trade Week, USCIB hosted a seminar on “Building International Sales, Doing it the Right Way,” where USCIB’s Ms. Barlow joined Toni Corsini of the Small Business Administration to provide an in-depth overview of services and assistance programs for smaller exporters.  Representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection concluded the session with a review of export and import regulations, including export licenses and the important concept of “reasonable care” in international trade.

These efforts, along with ongoing measures to streamline and promote the Carnet system worldwide, should position the service to rebound along with international trade in the months and years ahead.

More on the ATA Carnet Export Service

USCIB Honored During World Trade Week

Published on May 18, 2009

Carnet service for temporary exports celebrated on 40th anniversary

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson (right) accepts the Commerce Department’s Export Appreciation Award from James Cox, Northeast network director with the U.S. Commercial Service.
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson (right) accepts the Commerce Department’s Export Appreciation Award from James Cox, Northeast network director with the U.S. Commercial Service.

New York, N.Y., May 18, 2009 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), a leading pro-trade group based in Midtown Manhattan, was honored with the Department of Commerce’s Export Appreciation Award at a breakfast today at Baruch College.  The award, presented as part of the New York-area celebration of World Trade Week, recognized USCIB’s innovative ATA Carnet service for temporary exports.

“We are delighted to receive recognition for this invaluable commercial tool,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson in accepting the award.  “Companies of all sizes use Carnets to operate smoothly across borders.  What’s more, Carnets can help pave the way for new overseas sales, which are more important than ever as we seek to get our economy out of recession.”

Introduced in the United States forty years ago this month, ATA Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents, accepted in 65 countries, that allow for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows.  USCIB issues and guarantees Carnets in the United States from it’s New York offices and via a nationwide network of service providers.

Companies find “merchandise passports” essential for reducing costs and speeding global operations.  The ATA Carnet system was developed by the International Chamber of Commerce, the world business organization USCIB represents in the United States, and the World Customs Organization.  (“ATA” is a combination of the French and English abbreviations for “temporary admission.”)  More information on ATA Carnets is available at www.merchandisepassport.org.

Originally proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, World Trade Week is marked in cities nationwide to celebrate international trade’s contributions to the U.S. economy.  The New York-area trade community will celebrate World Trade Week with a full agenda of conferences, educational seminars, global business networking events and an awards breakfast recognizing exemplary contributions in the field.  More information, including a complete roster of events, is available at www.wtwnyc.org.

President Obama, in a proclamation issued by the White House, stated: “The United States is well-positioned to reap the benefits of trade.  America is a leader in the global marketplace and ranks at the top of almost every measure of global competitiveness.  Our businesses, workers, and farmers remain the most innovative, productive, and adaptable in the world.  The United States is also the world’s largest exporter.”

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
(212) 703-5043
jhuneke@uscib.org

World Trade Week NYC website

President Obama’s proclamation: World Trade Week 2009

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

China Celebrates a Decade in ATA Carnet System

Published on December 2, 2008
L-R: Yang Huazhang (CCPIT), Cynthia Duncan (USCIB, Peter Robinson (USCIB), Song Lee Ju (Singapore International Chamber of Commerce), Peter Bishop (London Chamber of Commerce & Industry), Hao Chongfu (Chinese Customs Control & Inspection)
L-R: Yang Huazhang (CCPIT), Cynthia Duncan (USCIB, Peter Robinson (USCIB), Song Lee Ju (Singapore International Chamber of Commerce), Peter Bishop (London Chamber of Commerce & Industry), Hao Chongfu (Chinese Customs Control & Inspection)

Business representatives from around the world gathered last month in Beijing to mark China’s ten years in the ATA Carnet system, the innovative network of nations granting duty-free, tax-free entry to many types of goods.

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson led a delegation of U.S. business experts to the meeting.  USCIB was instrumental in helping to open up the world’s most populous country to Carnets in the 1990s.  Over 7,000 Carnets have been issued for U.S. goods to enter China since its entry into the system.

China now ranks 12th among 65 countries in the ATA System, with over 3,200 Carnets issued in 2007 for goods valued at $73 million (U.S.), an increase of up 35 percent over 2006.

That number should grow significantly as the result of this year’s Beijing Olympics, for which China temporarily expanded the scope of goods admissible under Carnets to include professional equipment.

The global ATA Carnet system, overseen by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Customs Organization, permits the duty- and tax-free temporary exports of a wide range of goods for business use for up to one year.  Almost 160,000 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide in 2007 for goods valued at $17 billion.

Following 10 years of negotiations, Chinese customs authorities implemented the ATA Carnet system in March 1998 and appointed the China Chamber of International Commerce/China Center for the Promotion of International Trade (CCOIC/CCPIT) as the ATA Carnet national guaranteeing organization.

“USCIB was pivotal in bringing China into the Carnet system,” said Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations.  Mr. Robinson, then-Carnet director Bruce Wilson and Anna Zhang, a Beijing native who joined USCIB in the 1980s and presently serves as director of Carnet claims, played “key roles,” according to Ms. Duncan, in advancing the date of China’s membership.  USCIB provided early training for CCOIC/CCPIT representatives, and it has been active in training and troubleshooting ever since.

“China has been a great addition to the ATA Carnet network,” said Peter Bishop (London Chamber of Commerce & Industry), chairman of the World ATA Carnet Council, part of ICC’s World Chambers Federation.  “There is no doubt that its participation will grow as time goes by and further anniversaries are celebrated.”

Recently China has taken other steps to facilitate cross-border movement of goods.  Chinese Customs, CCOIC/CCPIT and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games put in place measures to ease the issuance of ATA Carnets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in August and September.  Hundreds of ATA Carnets were used to get an estimated $400 million worth of goods into China for the games, with TV and radio equipment used by news crews from around the world leading the way.

Ms. Duncan said it is hoped that this experience will pave the way for the Chinese authorities to permanently extend the scope of application of ATA Carnets to encompass professional equipment and commercial samples in the near future.

Staff contact: Cynthia Duncan

More on the ATA Carnet Export Service

More on USCIB’s China Committee

Montenegro Joins ATA Carnet System for Duty-Free Imports

Published on December 2, 2008

MontenegroNew York, N.Y., December 2, 2008 – Beginning this month, the European nation of Montenegro has begun accepting ATA Carnets, waiving duties and taxes on a variety of goods entering the country temporarily.  It is the 66th country to join the unique system to facilitate trade and business travel, according to the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which administers the ATA Carnet system in the United States.

“Montenegro’s decision to accept Carnets further solidifies their use in southeastern Europe,” according to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations. “Among the nations of former Yugoslavia, only Bosnia and Kosovo remain outside the system.”

ATA Carnets (“ATA” is a combination of the French and English abbreviations for “temporary admission.”) are internationally recognized customs documents for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows.  Companies find the “merchandise passports” essential for reducing costs and speeding global operations.

Ms. Duncan said Montenegrin industries of interest to U.S. importers and exporters included synthetic cloth and industrial textiles, footwear, lumber, telecommunications equipment, steel mill products, and photographic and optical equipment.

Since gaining independence in 2006, Montenegro has embarked on an economic reform and privatization drive that has led to strong economic growth, which exceeded seven percent last year. The country is also a candidate for membership in the European Union.

Carnets are honored in over 80 customs territories, including all EU members, and can be used for multiple trips during a one-year period.  The global ATA Carnet system is overseen by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce.  USCIB administers the Carnet system in the United States, working with service providers Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., and the Corporation for International Business.

In 2007, over 155,000 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, covering goods valued at almost $12 billion.  The system is growing, with Ukraine and Pakistan among the most recent additions.  China recently marked its tenth anniversary in the system. See related story.

USCIB promotes an open system of world commerce.  As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including ICC, it provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide.  USCIB facilitates international trade by issuing and guaranteeing ATA Carnets, by promoting international cooperation in such areas as customs policies and commercial dispute resolution, and through its ICC Books USA unit, which publishes a variety of publications on to international trade and investment.

Contact:
Cynthia Duncan, SVP Carnet Operations, USCIB
(212) 703-5079 or cduncan@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service