Mongolia and Chile Make Progress on Temporary Imports
New York, N.Y., March 25, 2004– Mongolia plans to scrap duties on a variety of temporary imports as of April 15, and Chile is poised to become the first Latin American country to do so.
Mongolia will join the ATA Carnet system, according to the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) which administers the system in the U.S., and will waive import duties on professional equipment, goods for exhibitions and fairs, and imports for scientific, educational and cultural purposes.
Meanwhile, hopes to extend use of Carnets into Latin America received a boost when Chile ratified the Istanbul Convention on temporary admission, an essential step toward full participation in the ATA Carnet system. At present, no nation south of the Rio Grande accepts Carnets, according to USCIB.
“Chile has crossed the first hurdle,” said Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s vice president for Carnet operations. “It still needs to appoint a national guaranteeing association to put the ATA Carnet system into effect.” The country is a significant U.S. export market, with total U.S. exports to Chile amounting to $2.7 billion last year, she observed.
Often called “merchandise passports,” ATA Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows. Companies around the world use them to reduce costs and speed global operations. (The acronym “ATA” is a combination of the French and English abbreviations for “temporary admission.”)
Eleven Mongolian customs offices will accept Carnets as part of their normal operations. ATA Carnets will be guaranteed by the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The country does not plan to accept Carnets for commercial samples, postal traffic, goods for transit or unaccompanied goods.
Chile formally notified the World Customs Organization on March 3 that it had ratified the Istanbul Convention of 1993, a single international instrument that combines all existing conventions on temporary importation.
Carnets are accepted in over 75 countries and can be used for multiple trips during a one-year period. The global ATA Carnet system is overseen by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce. USCIB administers the Carnet system in the United States, working with service providers Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., and the Corporation for International Business.
USCIB promotes an open system of world trade, finance and investment. Its membership includes some 300 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion. With a unique network of affiliations to international business groups, USCIB facilitates international trade by issuing and guaranteeing ATA Carnets, and by promoting international cooperation in such areas as customs policies and commercial dispute resolution.
Contact:
Cynthia Duncan, VP Carnet Operations, USCIB
(212) 703-5079 or cduncan@uscib.org
More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service
Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry website
