International Trade Law News

The U.S. Council of International Business (USCIB), the organization that administers the ATA Carnet program in the U.S., has announced that the use of ATA Carnets by American companies hit an all-time high in 2004. ATA Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents that permit the temporary duty-free export of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows. The USCIB has reported that over 15,000 ATA Carnets were issued last year by USCIB and its two service providers, Roanoke Trade Services, Inc. and the Corporation for International Business. The number of ATA Carnets issued in 2004 represented a 5.4% increase over 2003, which was the fastest growth in more than five years.

Carnets are accepted in over 75 countries, and the global ATA Carnet system is overseen by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the World Customs Organization. The acronym "ATA" is a combination of the French and English abbreviations for "temporary admission."

On December 20, 2004, USCIB instituted a number of new procedures for issuing Carnets and introduced a redesigned Carnet form, known as the A4 form, since it is the same size as European A4 paper. Carnets may be obtained from the USCIB via an online application.

Information on ATA Carnets, including the list of countries that accepts them and pricing information, can be found at the following link: www.merchandisepassport.org.