What is a Carnet? – More Than Shipping

A carnet is an international customs document that allows the temporary importation of goods for commercial purposes to and from a country without having to pay duties or value-added taxes on the goods. Often referred to as a “customs carnet,” it simplifies the process for traveling goods, especially for items like commercial samples, professional equipment, or exhibition materials.

Without a carnet, it would be necessary to go through the customs process as required by each country for the temporary entry of the goods.

The carnet allows us to use this single document for clearing the goods through customs. There are more than 100 countries and territories worldwide that participate and accept carnets. The carnet has a one-year validity period and can be used for unlimited exits from and entries into the U.S. and participating countries during this period.

The holder of the carnet is required to present the goods and carnet to U.S. Customs and Custom Border Protection, upon the exportation of the goods from the U.S., as well as when the goods are imported into a foreign country and the importation back to the U.S. Charges may be imposed if the requirements are not met and the carnet is not closed.

Who issues carnets?

Carnets are issued by authorized organizations and are part of the ICC International Chambers of Commerce and operate under the guidelines of the ATA Convention. Each country has specific organizations designated to issue carnets. The U.S. guaranteeing association is the United States Council for International Business USCIV and has appointed two ATA entities, as Carnet Service Providers. They are Roanoke Trade and the Corporation for International Business, who issue carnets on their behalf. The guaranteeing association is held liable by that country’s customs for payment in the event of violations of the terms of temporary importation.

If the goods are not returned by the holder of the ATA carnet, the guaranteeing association will assess import duties and taxes at a rate of 110%. Additional penalties may be imposed if fraud is suspected.

The application process to obtain a carnet consists of the applicant preparing an inventory list of the goods being transported which will travel under the carnet and paying the applicable fee.

Using a carnet offers several advantages for businesses to temporarily export and import goods without paying duties and taxes, which can lead to significant cost savings and time. It allows for faster movement of goods and minimizing delays in logistics.

Carnets can be obtained from the following:

USCIB is located at 1212 Avenue of the Americans, New York, New York 10036-1689, Telephone: (212) 354-4480, Fax: (212) 944-0012, website: www.uscib.org. It has appointed two Carnet Issuing Service Providers: Roanoke Trade 1 at (800) 762-6653 and Corporation for International Business, DBA boomerang carnets, at (800) 282-2900. Contact a Service Provider for further details concerning the issuance of ATA Carnets. Other questions can be referred to USCIB or the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20229. Attn: Office of Field Operations, Cargo and Conveyance Security (202) 344-3969.