ATA Carnets: Beginnings, Evolution, and the Future

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For more than six decades, the ATA Carnet stands as one of the most powerful and flexible tools in international trade, simplifying customs procedures, cutting costs, and enabling businesses of all sizes to expand globally.

The ATA Carnet, also known as the “passport for goods,” allows companies, organizations, and individuals to temporarily import professional equipment, commercial samples, and goods for exhibitions across borders without having to pay import duties and taxes.

At boomerang carnets®, we are dedicated to helping enterprises of all sizes, from startups to global corporations utilize the benefits of ATA Carnets to power growth and leverage global opportunities.  We issue ATA Carnets in the U.S. and through the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce in the U.K.  In addition to ATA Carnets, we also issue Carnets de Passages en Douane (CPDs) for the U.S. and Canada.

The CPD, designed specifically for road vehicles, is known as the “passport for vehicles” and allows road vehicles to enter multiple countries for temporary importation without having to pay the duty and taxes.  The CPD served as the influencing model for the ATA Carnet, which is used for goods.  In 2015, boomerang carnets was appointed the official issuing association for CPDs in the U.S. and Canada by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).  This year, we are proud to celebrate our 10th anniversary in this role.

The ATA Carnet has a rich history and evolution rooted in the desire to simplify temporary trade.  What began in the early 1900s as discussions about easing customs barriers has evolved into one of the most trusted and indispensable international trade tools in use today.  With 63 years in the making and 62 years in use, its journey from concept to global adoption is a story of innovation, cooperation, and persistence. 
 

ATA Carnet – History and Evolution Timeline

• 1900 & 1913 – Suggestions for simplifying Customs regulations for the temporary admission of goods and commercial samples are discussed at international congresses which had already materialized in the form of “Triptyques” and “Carnets de Passages en Douane” for the temporary importation of road motor vehicles.  The reason: Customs formalities had come to be regarded as troublesome for traders who frequently crossed frontiers with temporarily imported goods and samples. 
• 1923 – Convened under the auspices of the League of Nations, Customs experts draft the International Convention relating to the simplification of Customs formalities.

• 1952 – Under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the International Convention to facilitate the importation of commercial samples and advertising material is elaborated, but no positive results are achieved.
• 1954 – Inspired by a successful Austro-Swiss “Triptyque” experiment scheme for “samples”, the Customs Cooperation Council drafts a new convention.
• 1956 (March 1) – Adoption in Brussels of the Customs Convention regarding E.C.S. Carnets for commercial samples, creating the E.C.S. Carnet, predecessor of the ATA Carnet.  The E.C.S. Carnet stands for Echantillons Commerciaux, which is French for Commercial Samples. 
• 1958 – International Chamber of Commerce advocates the initiation of a Customs Carnet or “Triptyque” for the temporary duty-free admission of certain goods such as professional equipment and goods for display or use at exhibitions, fairs, etc.
• 1961 (December 6) – The Customs Cooperation Council adopts the Customs Convention on the ATA Carnet for the temporary admission of goods.  The abbreviation “ATA” is a combination of the initial letters of French words Admission Temporaire and the English words Temporary Admission.
• 1963 (July 30) – ATA Carnet Convention enters into force, establishing it as the leading international Customs document for temporary admission of goods, professional equipment, and goods for display or use at exhibitions, fairs, etc.
• 2025 – The ATA Carnet system of countries is comprised of 90 countries and territories. In 2024, 204,224 ATA Carnets were issued worldwide, allowing goods worth $32 billion to pass through customs checkpoints.
   

What’s Next?

The future of ATA Carnets is digital.  Commonly known as the eATA Carnet, but also called eCarnet, ATA eCarnet, or the digital ATA Carnet.  It has been successfully tested in several international trials.  When complete, an electronic version will be accessible right from your smartphone.

Curt E.H. Wilson, President and CEO of boomerang carnets, predicts:

“The eATA Carnet will make the ATA Carnet process even more beneficial than it already is for temporary imports.”

ATA Carnets have helped countless enterprises expand internationally.  At boomerang carnets, we embrace the evolution of this flexible and powerful trade tool.  We are committed to ensuring that businesses of all sizes harness their full potential to expand and grow globally.
 

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