FICCI India's Sole National Issuing & Guaranteeing Association (NIGA) for ATA Carnet
All countries have procedures allowing for the temporary importation of goods for across their borders. Such importations are generally valid for less than 12 months. Importers may choose from three options when considering a temporary importation:
To encourage world trade by reducing the obstacles caused by varying national customs regulations, the Customs Co-operation Council, now the World Customs Organization, adopted in December, 1961, the "Customs Convention on the ATA Carnet for the Temporary Admission of Goods." Carnets are issued and guaranteed by national groups, which administer the ATA Carnet System under a set of conditions established by the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce (IBCC), now called World Chambers Federation (WCF). The WCF is sponsored by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris. Customs authorities in over 71 Countries accept the Carnet as a guarantee that all duties and taxes will be paid if the Carnet is misused.
Just about any temporary import that comes under three broad categories:
The main requirement is that what goes in must come out - the goods must not be sold, given away or otherwise disposed of while in the foreign country. For this reason, you cannot include consumable items that will be used or handed out while in the foreign country - such as brochures, cleaning materials or feed for horses.
The carnet customs document can consist of just a few or several pages, depending on the number of items you are transporting and countries you're going to do business in or pass through. For example, a symphony orchestra on tour may have pages of items listed and a collection of "vouchers", but an executive off to a conference may have only 3 or 4 items and one set of vouchers.
There are two vouchers for each country on the itinerary, one to give to the customs officer when entering, and one for leaving the country (whether from the same location or another exit point). There are also two vouchers to present to customs when leaving and returning to India.
Carnets are issued and managed by chambers of commerce throughout the world. The terms and conditions of this arrangement are enforced through written agreements between members and the World Chambers Federation - WCF (Until 2001, the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce - IBCC) in Paris. India has been a member of the carnet system since 1989.
The majority of countries India does business with are members of the carnet system now, and more countries are joining every year. View a detailed country listing.
No. But there will be a 20% discount on processing fee.
Contact our Membership Team to enquire about the benefits of being a member of FICCI.
No. Everything on a Carnet must be returned back to India.
Apart from your company details the most important part of a Carnet is the List of Goods, which should be comprehensive and contain as much information for Customs that will enable them to readily identify the items. Marks and numbers, where they exist, are mandatory.
Yes. Additional vouchers can be obtained from the issuing office with a repeat fee payable.
No. Once a Carnet has been issued no extra item can be added to the list of goods.
Customs authorities have the right to stop goods from entering its borders (seizure of goods, etc. ) if the description is not adequate enough. Items on the general list should be as descriptive as possible; to avoid any delays, include serial numbers or model numbers whenever possible.
One year from the date of issue. Within this year, a carnet holder can visit as many countries in the system as he/she wishes, and enter and leave India as often as he/she wishes. All goods listed on the carnet must be returned to India by the expiry date, or prior to any assigned date(s) upon importation into a foreign country.
Someone who possesses the authority to obligate the company to payment of duties and taxes should they come due.
You can obtain a duplicate Carnet which will have the same details as the original, once again a repeat fee and security will apply. Alternatively, the goods covered by the lost or stolen Carnet may be entered to temporary importation. Call Office of Issue
The Carnet should be returned to FICCI after its final use or immediately after its expiration whichever comes first.
The Carnet holder should make and keep a clear copy of the whole Carnet booklet (all used and even un-used sheets), and return the original to FICCI.
Yes, all Carnets must be returned even if they were never used. Carnets that are returned to FICCI will be considered 'open' and thus, the associated security deposit will remain in effect until the time during which a customs claim may be submitted to FICCI has ended.
If Carnet is returned unused within a week from the date of issue, Rs. 10,000/- will be deducted from the processing fee to defray our secretarial expenses.
No. ATA Carnet document itself serves as both Shipping Bill and Bill of Entry.