What an ATA carnet is and how to get one

Freight, ATA carnet, customs

the three items we take on for fairs abroad

Exhibition stand services

Istanbul and Germany

the two bases paperwork and site work are run from

About us

What the carnet does

A stand leaving the country would normally be an export, and an import where it lands. Since fair material is not being sold, that treatment makes little sense. The ATA carnet fills the gap by declaring the goods temporary and due to return within a set period.

A carnet is backed by a guarantee. If the goods do not return within the period, or the document is not discharged, that guarantee is called; so a carnet is not a form but a document that creates financial liability. Whose name it is issued in, and who provides the guarantee, belong in the contract.

In participating countries one document covers both exit and entry. There is no separate declaration at each border, no duty deposited and reclaimed. Countries transited on the way are endorsed on the same document.

Which countries accept carnets, and on what terms, can change, so confirm the current position with the issuing chamber before the show. Agree who prepares the document as well: on work abroad that item sits with us.

What goes on the list

The carnet list derives from the crate list. Each item is entered with its description, quantity, weight and value. Material found at the border that is not on the list is treated as outside the cover: at best a separate procedure, at worst a refusal.

Write the descriptions so they can be understood. A line reading "assorted materials" invites questions at the border; "aluminium profile, 40 pieces" does not. Clear descriptions shorten the inspection, and a shorter inspection is what gets the vehicle into the hall on time.

The items typically excluded are consumables: tape, silicone, paint, screws, hospitality stock, catalogues and samples to be given away. They are consumed or distributed at the show and never return, so they do not fit temporary admission and need their own declaration.

Values need care as well. Understating them lowers the guarantee, but it also lowers any settlement after loss or damage. If customs query the value, the paperwork is reissued and the vehicle waits.

Discharging it on return

The carnet is endorsed and discharged by customs when the goods return. Skip that step and the document stays open, the guarantee stays tied up, and obtaining the next carnet from the same chamber becomes harder.

Remember too that goods under a carnet cannot simply be sold. If a product on display is sold at the show, it needs its own import procedure. Where sales are anticipated, say so from the outset; solving it afterwards costs both time and money.

If part of the consignment is not coming back, say so in advance. Anything damaged, broken or left behind is handled through a separate procedure. Quietly returning short is the most expensive option.

A practical habit: keep copies of the carnet and photographs of the crate list in the site file. Most questions at a border are answered in five minutes from the list in the crew’s hands; without the file in the vehicle, the same question costs hours.

Is a carnet valid everywhere?

No, only in countries party to the system. The list can change, so the destination is confirmed for each show.

Can a stand travel without a carnet?

It can, but then the standard customs regime applies, with its own deposits, declarations and reclaim process. For most fairs the carnet remains the simpler route.