What is an A.T.A. carnet?
A carnet, also referred to as an “ATA Carnet” is a standardized international customs document used to obtain duty-free temporary admission of certain goods into the territories of those nations that have signed an international agreement for that purpose. The A.T.A. documentation accompanying the goods bypasses the time-consuming task of filing numerous customs documents otherwise required by each of the individual A.T.A. member countries into which the goods are temporarily imported. The carnet provides a financial guarantee to foreign customs officials that, in the event the goods which have been temporarily admitted are not reexported, import duties will be paid. (The term A.T.A. is an acronym for the descriptive title written in French as “Admission Temporaire” and English “Temporary Admission,” respectively.
A carnet, also referred to as an “ATA Carnet” is a standardized international customs document used to obtain duty-free temporary admission of certain goods into the territories of those nations that have signed an international agreement for this purpose. The A.T.A. documentation accompanying the goods bypasses the time-consuming task of filing numerous customs documents otherwise required by each of the individual A.T.A. member countries into which the goods are temporarily imported. The carnet provides a financial guarantee to foreign customs officials that, in the event the goods that have been temporarily admitted are not reexported, import duties will be paid. (The term A.T.A. is an acronym for the descriptive title written in French as “Admission Temporaire” and English “Temporary Admission,” respectively.
An ATA Carnet is an international customs document that acts as a “passport” for your freight. It facilitates temporary imports into foreign countries and is usually valid for up to one year. The advantages are that it reduces costs by eliminating value added taxes, duties and the posting of security deposits. In addition, it simplifies customs procedures and facilitates re-entry back into the U.S.
