History

In 1961, in order to facilitate world trade, the World Customs Organization (WCO) adopted the “Customs Convention on the ATA Carnet for the Temporary Admission of Goods”. ATA is an acronym of the French and English words “Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission”. The Convention oversees three main categories of goods traded internationally:

• commercial samples;
• goods for presentation or use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions or similar events;
• professional equipment.

The Customs Conventions corresponding to these three main categories of goods are:

• the International Convention to facilitate the importation of commercial samples and advertising material of the GATT (Geneva, 1952);
• the Customs Convention concerning facilities for the importation of goods for display or use at exhibitions, fairs, meetings or similar events, of the CCC (Brussels, 1961);
• the Customs Convention on the temporary importation of professional equipment, of the CCC (Brussels, 1961).

Carnets are issued and guaranteed by national organizations. They administer the ATA Carnet System under a set of conditions established by the World Chambers Federation (WCF), sponsored by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris. Customs authorities in over 58 countries and territories accept the carnet as a guarantee that all duties and taxes will be paid if acceptable proof of timely re-exportation cannot be provided.

The World Chambers Federation (WCF) is an integral part of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The WCF acts as the liaison point for chambers of commerce throughout the world, offering a forum for their leaders to discuss common problems, while also facilitating the general expansion and improvement of their services. The ATA Carnet system is managed and promoted internationally by the WCF in close co-operation with the WCO.

Over the last 35 years, the carnet system has spread from just a few Western European countries to most of the industrialized world, including a growing number of developing nations. In 1998, some 194,986 carnets were issued worldwide, covering goods valued at almost US$ 12 billion.

Since 1972, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been authorized to issue carnets in Canada. Carnets are issued at five locations across Canada: Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener, Montreal and Vancouver.

In Canada the sale of carnets has increased dramatically from 693 in 1980 to over 2,800 in 1999. Carnet sales are expected to double in the next few years, as the business community comes to know more about the carnet benefits and the carnet system expands to include more countries.

For more information, please contact Carnet Services.