The ATA Carnet is an international Customs document that allows the holder to temporarily (up to one year) import goods without payment of normally applicable duties and taxes, including value-added taxes. The Carnet eliminates the need to purchase temporary import bonds. So long as the goods are re-exported within the alloted time frame, no duties or taxes are due. Failure to re-export all goods listed on the carnet results in the need to pay the applicable duties. Failure to remit those duties results in a claim from the foreign customs service to the importers home country.
The acronym ATA is a combination of French and English phrases "Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission. "
According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in 2006, about 158,000 carnets were issued internationally. The International Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit private international organization that works to promote and support global trade and Globalization. They covered goods valued at almost US$ 15 billion.
Contents |
History and administration
In 1961 the World Customs Organization (WCO), then known as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), adopted the "Customs Convention on the ATA Carnet for the Temporary Admission of Goods. The World Customs Organization ( WCO) is an Intergovernmental organization that helps Members (Governments usually represented by Customs administrations from 173 countries " The specific conventions for each type of applicable good were subsequently worked out and agreed on by the CCC. Today the agreement is administered by the ICC in cooperation with the WCO. Together, the ICC, the WCO and member countries' National Guaranteeing Associations (NGA) provide what is called the ATA international guarantee chain. This chain provides reciprocal guarantees assuring member customs officials that duties and taxes will be paid when claims arise.
Appointed by each participating member's government, the NGAs administer carnets in one or more territories. The United States NGA is the United States Council for International Business (USCIB). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the United States Council for International Business (USCIB is an independent business advocacy group originally founded in 1945 to promote free trade and help represent U Many countries use their national chamber of commerce as their NGA.
Member countries
According to the list posted by the USCIB, with the October 2007 addition of Pakistan, there are currently 97 international members. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and They range from large powers like the European Union to small island nations like Tahiti. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Tahiti is the largest Island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the Archipelago of Society Islands in the Though all corners of the globe are represented, the list is dominated by European entities as it includes the aforementioned EU, its independent members -France, Belgium etc. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those - as well as several autonomous cities and regions such as Ceuta and Andorra. Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain located on the Mediterranean, on the North African side of the Strait of Gibraltar, which Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western Other countries like Aruba have declared they will accept carnets while not becoming official members of the group. Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela All member countries, with the exception of Taiwan, accept essentially the same documentation. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia.
Taiwan and the US have a special carnet arrangement known as the TECRO/AIT carnet. The acronym stands for the two organizations that are parties to the agreement: the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US and the American Institute in Taiwan. A Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office ( TECRO) sometimes known as a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office ( TECO) or a Taipei Representative The American Institute in Taiwan ( AIT) serves as the representative office of the United States in Taiwan. TECRO/AITs cover only goods in the commercial samples and professional equipment categories. (See categories below in Carnet Use. )
Carnet usage
Carnets apply to three broad categories of merchandise: commercial samples, professional equipment and goods for use at exhibitions and fairs. With the exception of perishable or consumable items, the product range is nearly limitless. Carnets are regularly used to facilitate movement of everything from display booths to racing yachts.
Individuals or firms wishing to use a carnet to move goods in and out of foreign countries must submit an application and the necessary collateral to their home NGA. The current collateral standard is 40% of the total value of the applicable goods. In the US the applicant may post cash or US treasury bonds with the USCIB. Treasury securities are Government bonds issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt. Alternately, they will accept a surety bond with a limit equal to 40% of the value. A surety bond is a Contract among at least three parties The principal - the primary party who will be performing a contractual obligation The obligee All bonds must be issued by government approved companies as listed on the Department of the Treasury's Circular 570. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government.
The application, among other things, lists all countries of intended transit and all applicable goods with their assigned values. If the application is properly completed and submitted with the applicable fees the NGA will issue a carnet specifically tailored to that itinerary. The carnet document has two, green, cover leaflets denoting country of origin with instructions. Within the covers are counterfoils and vouchers for each country to be transited. The vouchers act as receipts for entry and re-export in foreign countries and are kept by foreign customs officials. The counterfoils are stamped by the foreign customs services and act as the carnet holders receipt. Upon completion of travel or expiration of the carnet's 12-month active period, the holder must return all documents to their home NGA. A review is conducted. If all documents are in order and no claims are found to be forthcoming from one of the applicable foreign countries, the collateral can be returned. If a bond was used the NGA issues notice that the bond may be cancelled. If the counterfoils, including the final one showing re-entry of all applicable goods back into the country of origin, are not in order, or if a foreign customs service notifies the NGA of a violation, the carnet holder is given notice to provide proper documentation or pay the applicable duties. If they do not, the collateral or bond are used to pay the claim. Claims that can not be amicably settled between the applicable NGAs may be referred to the ICC for Dispute Resolution Services. The International Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit private international organization that works to promote and support global trade and Globalization.
External links
- UK London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- India Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry
- Thailand Customs Department
- Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
- Japan ATA Carnet System
- International Chamber of Commerce
- US Council for International Business
- TECRO
- AIT
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic