USCIB Director for Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin traveled to Colombia April 23-25 to attend and present on the ATA Carnet System as part of a broader “Trade Facilitation: Opportunities for Global Economy” forum that was co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Colombia, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.

ATA Carnets are international customs documents that allow for duty-free and tax-free temporary import of goods for up to one year and are important tools for international trade facilitation. In addition to its affiliate role of ICC, the International Organization of Employers and Business at OECD, USCIB is the National Guaranteeing Association (NGA) for ATA Carnet. As the NGA, USCIB operates and manages the ATA Carnet system in the United States.

The event was primarily focused on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and its implementation in Colombia through Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation funded projects. In addition, there was a panel on the ATA Carnet System, “ATA Carnet as a Mechanism for Global Commerce.” Giblin linked the temporary admissions provisions of the WTO TFA, which does not specify how they should be implemented, to the global gold standard or global best practice for temporary admissions, the ATA System.

At the event, Giblin, presenting in Spanish, focused on the basics of the ATA System, educating the audience, which consisted of Colombian exporters, on the ATA System and its benefits. Representatives from Colombia Customs (DIAN), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Colombian audiovisual sector and the ICC Colombia Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation joined Giblin on the panel to provide additional value add of the ATA System.

“In efforts to encourage TFA plus implementation, we recommend Colombia become a contacting party to the WCO Istanbul Convention with broadest scope of coverage and promptly implement the System, which USCIB has been promoting in Latin America alongside ICC WCF,” said Giblin. “We look forward to working with ICC Colombia and the Colombian government, especially Customs, to promote the ATA System and provide support and guidance as questions, clarifications, or other obstacles related to full adoption arise.”