Shiles Joins USCIB as Head of ATA Carnet and Trade Services

Andrew Shiles

New York, N.Y., May 16, 2017 – Former FedEx executive and cargo industry veteran Andrew Shiles has joined the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) to lead the association’s dynamic portfolio of trade services, including the “merchandise passports” used by thousands of exporters around the world to get goods through customs quickly and easily.

As senior vice president of ATA Carnet and trade services, Shiles will work to expand U.S. trade interests through promotion of the ATA Carnet program. ATA Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents that permit temporary duty-free, tax-free entry of qualified goods for up to one year. They are used widely to facilitate entry of goods for trade shows, product samples and professional equipment.

“Andy Shiles brings extensive experience to this position,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “He has in-depth knowledge of trade and customs affairs, including ATA Carnet, and relationships with clients ranging from multinational corporations to SMEs to freight forwarders. In addition, Andy has strong connections with U.S. Customs, and has engaged in a number of important industry trade associations.”

USCIB manages and guarantees the ATA Carnet system in the United States, with responsibility for issuing ATA Carnets falling to two outside service providers, Roanoke Trade and the Corporation for International Business. ATA Carnets are accepted in 84 countries and territories, while the global ATA systems is overseen by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). USCIB serves as ICC’s American national committee.

Shiles comes to USCIB following more than 30 years at FedEx Express, the world’s largest air express cargo company, most recently as global regulatory compliance manager, where he served on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee. His leadership experience in global supply-chain management includes participation in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Simplified Entry Working Group, which redesigned and implemented the current entry-clearance process into the United States.

Shiles also has extensive experience working with multiple government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Product Safety Commission. A self-professed “Yankee with a Southern accent,” Shiles was born in Manhattan and raised in the Southwest and in Tennessee, where he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis. He is a member of the International Compliance Professionals Association and the American Association of Exporters and Importers.

Find out more about the services offered by USCIB to facilitate cross-border trade and investment at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.

Saipan

DISCLAIMER: USCIB makes every effort to keep information on this page up to date. Users are advised to consult with the local customs authorities of the country or territory in question to ensure accuracy and conformity with local laws. USCIB cannot be held liable for any incorrect or out-of-date information contained on this page.

 

  

Saipan

Saipan is a protectorate of United States. Their Customs is not administered by US Customs and Border Protection. We do not guarantee Carnets for Saipan. Contact Saipan local customs office before obtaining an ATA Carnet.

For further information, contact Saipan Port of Entry at: (670) 288-0026 and visit https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/saipan-cnmi.

US Virgin Islands

DISCLAIMER: USCIB makes every effort to keep information on this page up to date. Users are advised to consult with the local customs authorities of the country or territory in question to ensure accuracy and conformity with local laws. USCIB cannot be held liable for any incorrect or out-of-date information contained on this page.

 

U.S. Virgin Islands Flag

 

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (USVI)

January 2015

An ATA Carnet, whether U.S or foreign, will NOT be accepted as a means of temporary importation.

As of this writing, USCIB understands the following to be the procedures for importing goods into the U.S. Virgin islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John).

Requirements:

  1. Business license.  Such license must be obtained from St. Thomas as it is the first port of entry into the territory.  This license covers goods whether intended for sale or show.  For further information, contact 340-774-3130.
  2. Customs Bond, either continuous or single entry depending on need or frequency of visit.  Standard wording for a U.S. customs bond is NOT sufficient.  Be sure that your bond contains the specific USVI rider, otherwise it will be declined.  Islands.
  3. Commercial Invoice.

To contact customs in the U.S. Virgin Islands, visit http://www.usvichamber.com/

Non-Carnet Member Areas

 

Some destinations that do not accept ATA Carnets

 

Caribbean Islands

AnguillaAntiguaBahamasBarbados
BarbudaBermudaCayman IslandsDominica
GrenadaJamaicaNetherlands AntillesSt. Kitts-Nevis
St. LuciaSt. Vincent GrenadinesTrinidad & TobagoTurks & Caicos Islands
UK Virgin Islands: Tortola
 

Middle East

EgyptKuwaitJordanOman
Saudi Arabia*Syria
 

South & Central American Nations

ArgentinaBrazilCosta RicaHonduras
 

Other Destinations

Fiji IslandsGreenlandIraqKenya
Philippines
* Coming Soon
 

U.S. Protectorates


US CBP does not administer customs in these protectorates, thus Carnets are not valid customs documents.

American Samoa

Guam

Saipan

US Virgin Islands: St. Croix, St. John, & St. Thomas

ATA Carnets MAY be accepted in the countries above and others, however, USCIB will not guarantee their acceptance as a means of temporary importation.

Carnet Countries

At present, over 75 countries accept Carnets.  New members are added periodically.  Each country designates a National Guaranteeing Association (NGA), which oversees the operation of the Carnet system in that country.  The World Chambers Federation (WCF), a division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in Paris, with the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, administer the Carnet System worldwide.

·  Member Countries

·  Non-member Areas

Non-Carnet Countries

 

Some destinations that do not accept ATA Carnets

 

Caribbean Islands

AnguillaAntiguaBahamasBarbados
BarbudaBermudaCayman IslandsDominica
GrenadaJamaicaNetherlands AntillesSt. Kitts-Nevis
St. LuciaSt. Vincent GrenadinesTrinidad & TobagoTurks & Caicos Islands
UK Virgin Islands: Tortola
 

Middle East

EgyptKuwaitJordanOman
Saudi Arabia*Syria
 

South & Central American Nations

ArgentinaBrazilCosta RicaHonduras
 

Other Destinations

Fiji IslandsGreenlandIraqKenya
Philippines
* Coming Soon
 

U.S. Protectorates


US CBP does not administer customs in these protectorates, thus Carnets are not valid customs documents.

American Samoa

Guam

Saipan

US Virgin Islands: St. Croix, St. John, & St. Thomas

ATA Carnets MAY be accepted in the countries above and others, however, USCIB will not guarantee their acceptance as a means of temporary importation.

Saudi Arabia

 

4821_image002 4821_image004

For updates on Saudi Arabia’s Carnet status click here.

Saudi Arabia specific export assistance and information can be found here.

Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C.

601 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20037 USA
Tel: (202) 342-3800
Website: http://www.saudiembassy.net/

Embassy of the United States Riyadh

Tel: +966 12 667 0080
Fax: +966 12 669 3098
E-mail: JeddahACS@state.gov
Website: http://jeddah.usconsulate.gov/index.html

Saudi Arabia at a Glance:

  • Saudi Arabia, known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab state in Western Asia and the second largest in the Arab world.
  • The official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic.
  • There are 20 million Saudi citizens and 5 million foreigners living in Saudi Arabia.
  • Saudi Arabia’s command economy is petroleum-based; roughly 75% of budget revenues and 90% of export earnings come from the oil industry.
  • Saudi Arabia is one of only a few fast-growing countries in the world with a relatively high per capita income of $24,200 (2010)
  • Saudi Arabia will be launching six “economic cities” which are planned to be completed by 2020. These six new industrialized cities are intended to diversify the economy of Saudi Arabia, and are expected to increase the per capita income.

Aruba & Curaçao

DISCLAIMER: USCIB makes every effort to keep information on this page up to date. Users are advised to consult with the local customs authorities of the country or territory in question to ensure accuracy and conformity with local laws. USCIB cannot be held liable for any incorrect or out-of-date information contained on this page.

 

Aruba flag  Curacao flag

ARUBA & Curaçao

USCIB has been advised that Aruba and Curaçao will accept ATA Carnets as a means of temporary importation, though they are not formally part of the ATA system.

Aruba (AW)

By obtaining a Carnet, importers will avoid the posting of 3% duty otherwise payable at the time of import.

For more information, contact Carnet HQ at 1.800.5.DUTYFREE or your Carnet Service Provider.  Aruba Customs is reachable at 011.297.582.4687.

Curaçao (CW)

For more information about Curaçao, contact Curaçao Customs at 011 (599-9) 434.5300.

Bahrain Prepares to Implement ATA Carnet System

Bahrain Customs Officials, Chamber staff and business community leaders at ATA Carnet workshop in Manama
Bahrain Customs Officials, Chamber staff and business community leaders at ATA Carnet workshop in Manama

In August, Bahrain took a solid step closer to implementing the ATA Carnet System when the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce hosted an ATA Carnet workshop in Manama, organized by the ATA Carnet Guarantee Association of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

ATA Carnets are international customs documents that allow goods to enter signatory countries and their territories tax- and duty-free for up to one year. (USCIB administers the Carnet system in the United States.) Bahrain ratified the international convention governing temporary admission of goods last year and has been working with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to understand and work towards implementing the system.

The United States already has a strong trade relationship with Bahrain which was cemented in 2006 with signing of the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. “Though the FTA has nurtured the relationship between Bahrain and the United States, there is still room for additional growth,” according to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for trade services. Signs of this continued growth can be seen by Bahrain moving towards implementing ATA Carnet, she said.

Though the FTA eliminates most customs duties between the two countries, it does not prevent the imposition of import taxes on U.S. goods entering Bahrain. Full implementation of the ATA Carnet system will allow for both duty- and tax-free import and export for goods traveling on a temporary basis for sales meetings, demonstrations and/or trade shows. Once orders are secured with the help of the ATA Carnet, these same exporters can then take advantage of the FTA incentives.

Since the signing of the US-Bahrain FTA, bilateral trade has increased to more than $1.6 billion, as this agreement has allowed U.S. suppliers to be price-competitive in the region. Companies such as Harley-Davidson have eagerly taken advantage of new export opportunities under the FTA. The FTA has also created new opportunities for U.S. financial services, since Bahrain is a financial hub in the Middle East.

Bahrain is currently our 85th largest trading partner with $1.9 billion in two way trade of goods. More importantly to note that goods exported to Bahrain in 2012 totaled $1.2 billion giving the U.S. a goods trade surplus with Bahrain of $508 million. ATA Carnet implementation will only help continue to grow our trade relationship and specifically our exports to Bahrain.

Staff contact: Amanda Barlow

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

Indonesia Moves Towards Accepting ATA Carnets

Participants at an ATA Carnet workshop in Jakarta in July
Participants at an ATA Carnet workshop in Jakarta in July

Indonesia plans to formally announce the implementation of the ATA Carnet system at this December’s World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Bali. As part of a move towards closer engagement with the global economy, Indonesia aims to begin accepting ATA Carnets in early 2014.

Adding Indonesia has been a priority of the World ATA Carnet Council, which is chaired by USCIB Senior Vice President Cindy Duncan. Seventy-three countries already actively participate in this worldwide system, which facilitates temporary exports for a wide variety of goods free of duties and taxes.

U.S. trade with Indonesia will directly benefit from this implementation as U.S. businesses are currently major exporters of aircraft, rail equipment and energy-related equipment to Indonesia. Two-way trade between the United States and Indonesia has been on the upswing, reaching $26 billion in 2012 and U.S. exports to Indonesia were up an additional 8.1 percent in the same year. This positive trade growth is expected to be further spurred by Indonesia’s decision to join the ATA Carnet system.

To get the process in motion ICC’s Asia office held workshops and a series of meetings in Jakarta this past July to work on the technicalities of putting the system into place. Approximately 175,000 Carnets worth over $25 billion are issued annually. Indonesia will be a welcome addition to this growing Carnet figure and to continued international cooperation among trading partners. If you are interested in receiving updates and notifications on Indonesia’s status with the ATA Carnet System, please Click Here

The ATA Carnet system is jointly administered by the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce’s ICC World Chambers Federation, which administers the ATA Carnet international guarantee chain. USCIB guarantees Carnets in the U.S. and issues them through a network of trusted service providers.

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service