Category: Customs & compliance
ATA Carnet
Also known as: Carnet, Merchandise Passport
Definition
An international customs document allowing duty-free, tax-free temporary import of goods that will be re-exported.
An ATA Carnet is an internationally recognized document that lets goods enter participating countries temporarily without paying duty or import taxes, provided they are re-exported unchanged within the validity period. It is often called a merchandise passport.
It suits trade-show samples, professional equipment, and exhibition goods that travel across borders and return home. The carnet streamlines clearance and avoids posting cash deposits, replacing multiple national procedures with one document.
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