Boeing Goes to Siberia on an ATA Carnet

The ATA Carnet, also known as “The Merchandise Passport” and “Passport for Goods” enables your product, equipment, or goods to move into and out of participating carnet countries for up to a year without payment of import-duty or -tax.  The benefits of this flexible, internationally accepted customs document for temporary exports can be utilized by individuals and nearly all industries.  When the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was introduced, it had to be subjected to a battery of tests before going on the market which included cold weather testing conducted at that time in Eastern Siberia, Russia.  Boomerang carnets® participated in a webinar with The International Trade Association of Greater Chicago (ITA/GC) on “Strategic Uses of Carnets to Get Your Orders Across Borders,” where Curt E.H. Wilson, President and CEO, recounted the Boeing 787 carnet story to show the benefits of this flexible trade tool, how customers can rely on boomerang’s expertise available 24/7, and how carnets lead to sales.

The Boeing Company approached boomerang with the 787 Dreamliner “test” plane and put it on a single carnet worth a little over $1B (one billion dollars).  With more seats, expanded range, increased cargo, and constructed from lighter and varied materials to make it more efficient—a lot was at stake.  The battery of tests in the extreme Siberian cold included, for example, repeated ignition starting and stopping, repeated movement of the wing flaps, and opening the hatches and doors to measure the effects the sub-zero temperatures on the plane’s unique composition.  Steel and aluminum react to the cold at different rates.  Moving parts may lose their mobility; plastic could shatter.  All tests are conducted and measured with meticulous procedure over a period of many months and the plane withstood them all.  So, when Boeing was ready to return the airplane to the U.S. after their success, the Russian government was so impressed by their testing, they didn’t want it to leave.  Curt Wilson recounted how he sprang into action getting U.S. Customs on the phone as well as the U.S. State Department to help get the plane re-exported.  It took some doing, and the plane returned to the U.S. saving Boeing a cool $300M on duties and taxes.

But the story is not over.  Boeing Sales & Marketing soon after flew the 787 to other countries to ignite interest to purchase the new planes. A flight that set out to break the travel time from Hong Kong to London was arranged with invited dignitaries from many different countries.  Since the 787 Dreamliner was built with a special composite it was lighter and more fuel efficient, and indeed faster.  The flight path to London flew over Chicago, Illinois where Boeing headquarters is located.  As the Dreamliner flew over Chicago an Emir from a Middle Eastern country phoned down to Boeing and ordered a dozen of the 787s! 

Boomerang carnets® can help you with any of your temporary export needs.  Create new international markets for your company.  It is possible.  ATA Carnets have proven time and again to be an invaluable trade tool that saves time, money, and creates ease across borders so that you can clear Customs with assurance.  Call us at our Carnet HelpLine® 1(800)ATA-2900 | 1(800)282-2900.  Tell us your story.  We can help you increase revenue and achieve the invaluable brand exposure your company desires.  

To get periodic updates about ATA Carnets, subscribe to our eNewsletter: Exportise.