Why does a truck wait at customs?

The three most common reasons: the goods list does not match the parts on the truck, the invoice lacks the temporary export note, or the ATA Carnet has a missing page or stamp. All three are checked before departure; the forwarder's customs broker should see the documents before loading.

Who obtains the ATA Carnet: us or the stand builder?

The stand builder for stand parts, the exhibitor for the products to be shown; both can be combined in one carnet, but the party providing the guarantee owns the carnet. In our contracts abroad we take on the carnet for stand parts; for the product carnet we direct you to your chamber.

Is using the fair forwarder compulsory?

Entering the hall with your own vehicle is allowed at most fairs, but forklift, crane and empties storage inside the hall are only available from the official forwarder; at some German venues the official forwarder is the sole authority on the grounds. In a national pavilion the organiser's forwarder is the only one under the specification.

Can we sell samples at the fair?

If a product that left under temporary export is sold, it does not return and the transaction becomes a definitive export; invoice, VAT and the destination country's import duty come into play. Selling goods under an ATA Carnet breaches the carnet and leads to recovery from the guarantee. If you plan to sell, ship those products as a definitive export from the start.

Freight, customs and the ATA Carnet

How the stand and products reach the hall: domestic freight, truck, container and air cargo for abroad, the temporary export declaration, the ATA Carnet, the fair forwarder and insurance. How freight specifications work in a national pavilion, and why a truck waits at customs.

Short answer

How are fair materials taken abroad?

A stand and products going to a fair abroad leave under the temporary export regime and return after the fair. There are two routes: temporary export with a customs declaration, or the ATA Carnet. The ATA Carnet is an international customs document issued by TOBB through chambers of commerce and industry; it is used for fair and exhibition goods, is valid for one year, is applied for through the ATAK system with an electronic signature, and requires a bank guarantee of half the goods' value. Goods travelling under a carnet are temporarily imported in the fair country without paying duties and return under the same carnet. Freight to Europe goes by truck in three to four days, to the Gulf and the USA by container or air cargo; large fairs' official forwarders handle on-site moves and empties storage. In a national pavilion the organiser has a single forwarder and products are delivered to its warehouse.

Freight and customs are the part of the fair process most foreign to the exhibitor and the place where most surprises appear. In this section we describe the method, documents and timing; how we work on projects abroad is on the exhibition logistics page. Rules and fees change; ask your chamber about the ATA Carnet and your customs broker about temporary export for the latest position. We also walk through the carnet step by step in our ATA carnet article and the shipping plan for the stand itself in taking a stand to a fair abroad.

Domestic freight: two vehicles, one order

At a domestic fair, stand parts come in the builder's vehicle and products usually in the exhibitor's own vehicle or with the fair forwarder. Parts are loaded in the order they come off in the hall: floor and frame in the first vehicle, graphics, furniture and products in the second. On build day vehicles enter in the organiser's window with a registered plate; a vehicle without a ramp slot waits at the gate.

Tüyap is fifteen minutes from our workshop and CNR Expo an hour; a missing or damaged part is replaced from the workshop the same day. For fairs outside Istanbul (İzmir, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa) the stand leaves a day earlier and the crew is in the hall on build morning.

International freight: truck, container, air cargo

For European fairs the stand and products travel by truck; Istanbul to Düsseldorf, Cologne or Frankfurt takes three to four days, Munich about the same. Part size is set by the truck and the hall door. For Gulf (Dubai, Riyadh) and US (Atlanta, Las Vegas) fairs, sea freight by container (four to six weeks) or air cargo for urgent parts is used; for those fairs the production calendar moves forward by the sea transit time.

Large fairs have an official forwarder (in Germany usually the venue's contracted logistics company). The official forwarder handles on-site forklift and crane services, delivery to the stand, collection of empties and their return at the end of the fair, and their storage; under Messe Düsseldorf rules empties may not be kept on the stand or in rented service areas, only stored through the forwarder. These services are ordered before the fair and charged by tariff.

In national pavilions the organiser (an exporters' association, for example) publishes a freight specification and appoints a single forwarder: products are delivered to the forwarder's Istanbul warehouse with a goods list, invoice and customs documents; the forwarder handles road transport, customs in both countries, distribution to the stand, empties storage and re-import after the fair. Storage is covered up to the shipping day and for one week after return; longer periods are charged separately. Goods that miss the delivery date in the specification do not board the truck. Container and truck planning is also covered on our stands abroad page.

1 year
validity of an ATA Carnet; fair and exhibition goods fall under Annex B.1: 50%
bank guarantee in favour of TOBB as a share of the total value of goods under the carnet

Temporary export or ATA Carnet

Temporary export declaration compared with the ATA Carnet
Topic	Temporary export declaration	ATA Carnet
What	A declaration under the Customs Law for temporary exit to be shown at a fair; the goods' distinguishing features and the fair name are entered	An international customs document issued by TOBB through chambers; allows duty-free temporary import in the fair country
Documents	Declaration, pro forma invoice or dispatch note (with a "no commercial value, temporary export for a fair" note), goods list	ATAK application (e-signature), pro forma invoice, list with brand, quantity, value and origin, tax certificate, signature circular, bank guarantee letter
In the destination country	That country's temporary import rules and security apply separately	The carnet replaces security in member countries; its pages are stamped on entry and exit
Duration	The return period is set by customs; without extension it may not exceed the three years in article 168 of the Customs Law	The carnet is valid for one year; fair goods may stay at least six months in the destination country
If goods do not return	The transaction becomes a definitive export; an invoice and VAT treatment are needed for goods sold at the fair	Customs duties and penalties in the destination country are recovered from the guarantee
When it fits	One country, one fair, when the forwarder has a customs broker	Several countries or fairs, long distances such as the USA and the Gulf, valuable samples and stand parts

The ATA Carnet application is made electronically through TOBB's ATAK system with an electronic signature; your chamber of commerce or industry issues the carnet. The guarantee is a bank guarantee letter in favour of TOBB for 50 percent of the total value of the goods under the carnet; cash or other forms of security may vary by chamber. The carnet fee is set yearly; ask your chamber for the current amount. For fair and exhibition goods the carnet's Annex B.1 pages are used and the goods are granted at least six months' stay from the date of temporary import.

Stand parts and samples travelling under the carnet enter the fair country duty free, the carnet pages are stamped on entry and exit, and the guarantee is released when the same goods return. Every item on the goods list is matched at customs; a part not on the list is not covered. That is why the stand parts list and the carnet list should come from the same hand.

In temporary export it is common practice to issue the invoice without commercial value and add a note that it is a temporary export for a fair; a reference value is shown for customs valuation. Goods sold at the fair will not return, so the transaction becomes a definitive export and VAT is recorded with your accountant.

One contract and one responsible party for a fair abroad

Production in our Istanbul workshop, customs and the ATA Carnet handled by us, the build done by our own crew. At German fairs our Aachen office receives the freight and corresponds with the organiser in German. You bring only your products and your team.

Quote for a stand abroad Our service abroad

Insurance and liability

The organiser's policy usually covers the hall itself (fire, flooding, natural disaster); exhibited products and the stand are outside it. Transit insurance, exhibited goods insurance and third-party liability are taken out separately by the exhibitor. In national pavilions announced as "freight included", the organiser's package usually includes transit insurance; check the scope and the damage notification period in the specification.

Structural, technical, mechanical and electrical responsibility for the stand lies with the exhibitor and the contractor (Tüyap floor plan notes). Ask for a written "technical support during the fair" line in the stand builder's quote and a statement of who is responsible in case of damage.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a truck wait at customs?: The three most common reasons: the goods list does not match the parts on the truck, the invoice lacks the temporary export note, or the ATA Carnet has a missing page or stamp. All three are checked before departure; the forwarder's customs broker should see the documents before loading.
Who obtains the ATA Carnet: us or the stand builder?: The stand builder for stand parts, the exhibitor for the products to be shown; both can be combined in one carnet, but the party providing the guarantee owns the carnet. In our contracts abroad we take on the carnet for stand parts; for the product carnet we direct you to your chamber.
Is using the fair forwarder compulsory?: Entering the hall with your own vehicle is allowed at most fairs, but forklift, crane and empties storage inside the hall are only available from the official forwarder; at some German venues the official forwarder is the sole authority on the grounds. In a national pavilion the organiser's forwarder is the only one under the specification.
Can we sell samples at the fair?: If a product that left under temporary export is sold, it does not return and the transaction becomes a definitive export; invoice, VAT and the destination country's import duty come into play. Selling goods under an ATA Carnet breaches the carnet and leads to recovery from the guarantee. If you plan to sell, ship those products as a definitive export from the start.

Sources

ATA Carnet: scope, application and the ATAK system — TOBB
Customs Law No. 4458 — Turkish Legislation Information System
Messe Düsseldorf technical guidelines: empties storage and forwarding — Messe Düsseldorf
National pavilion freight specifications (example: İKMİB) — İKMİB
Information on international fair logistics — AUMA

Still have a question?

Whatever stage you are at, we can point you in the right direction in ten minutes by phone or WhatsApp. You do not have to ask for a quote; answering a first-time exhibitor's question is part of our job too.