Purpose
The ATA Carnet (ATA) is an international customs document that permits duty-free and tax-free temporary import of goods for up to one year. Using an ATA Carnet, goods – mainly professional equipment, exhibition and fair goods, and commercial samples – can be declared in multiple countries/customs territories using one unified document. Import duties and taxes temporarily exempted are secured by an ATA Carnet International Guaranteeing Chain (ATA Chain) administered by the International Chamber of Commerce’s World Chambers Federation (ICC WCF). The term "ATA" is a combination of the initial letters of the French words "Admission Temporaire" and the English words "Temporary Admission".
Sender/Receiver
ATA Carnets are issued worldwide by guaranteeing and issuing associations approved by national customs authorities and affiliated with the ICC WCF ATA Chain.
The target users of the ATA Carnet are companies or individuals sending or carrying goods for overseas missions. It can also be used by their representatives.
Legal requirement
The ATA Carnet procedure including the template of the document is governed by international conventions, namely the Customs Convention on ATA Carnets for the Temporary Admission of Goods (ATA Convention) and / or the Convention on Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention). National laws also apply where the conventions remain silent. The document is a facility (thus not mandatory).
Usage
ATA Carnets are accepted in approximately 80 countries/customs territories. More than 200,000 documents are issued per year, equivalent to at least 800,000 transactions per year.
Standards
The ICC WCF, through its World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC), has been responsible for the administration of the ATA Chain since 1963 and leading the digitalisation of ATA Carnets (eATA) in cooperation with the WCO. A digital ATA Carnet system has been made available by ICC.
Following the end of eATA pilot phase on 30 June 2023, the eATA project entered its global transition preparation phase. The global transition kick-off is scheduled to start in early 2025, and the ATA Carnet procedure is expected to go fully digital by 2027.
Platforms
The ICC ATA Carnet system, a comprehensive real-time lifecycle management system, features a centralised database that connects with other components, creating a network that efficiently handles carnet data for various users. This system is divided into two system interfaces and three user interfaces, catering to the specific needs of different ATA Carnet stakeholders such as an ICC ATA Carnet app (ACA) for carnet holders, and ICC ATA Carnet Customs (ACC) for customs officials.
The system’s functionality is straightforward yet robust: Holders order carnets online through National Issuing and Claims Systems (NICS) integrated with the ICC ATA Carnet system. They download them onto a smartphone app (ACA), and use QR codes for transactions at border crossings. Customs officials can scan these QR codes to access detailed carnet information, confirm transactions, and manage potential claims using ACC. This process ensures secure and efficient handling of carnets, enhancing the ease of international business transactions.
Data
- Carnet holder Information: name and address.
- Representative
- Intended use
- Countries/customs territories to use
- Carnet number
- Issuing association and guaranteeing association
- Issuing date and place
- Expiration date: The validity of the carnet.
- Goods description: Detailed description of the goods being transported, including their quantity, value, weight/volume, country of origin, and any relevant serial numbers or identifiers.
- Additional declarations and signatures
- Declaration date and place
- Final date of re-exportation (given by Customs at the time of declaration)
- Final date of re-importation (given by Customs at the time of declaration)
- Customs remarks
Adoption
To increase the digital adoption of the ATA Carnet, it is essential to have proper support from the WCO, the Taxation and Customs Union Directorate-General of the European Commission, and other national customs authorities, i.e. contracting parties to the ATA/Istanbul Conventions.
