US Carnet Bonds

The U.S. national guaranteeing association for carnets requires that all U.S. ATA Carnets be financially secured.

• ATA Carnets can be secured with either a surety bond (carnet bond) or certified check in an amount equal to 40% of the value of the General List. (Note India requires 55% bond.  Road vehicles exported to any carnet country by a company require a 100% security and exported by an individual require 150%. Any vehicle going to China, regardless if driven on roads or not, or company vs. individual, is always 150% security.)
• A carnet bond fulfilling this requirement can be applied for with the same application as you will complete for the carnet online.
• You may be requested to supply financial information such as a tax return or financial statement to satisfy the underwriting requirements of the surety company after you submit your carnet and bond application.
• To calculate an estimated premium for the carnet bond use the ATA Carnet Budget Worksheet or multiply the value of the merchandise times 40%. The resulting product is then multiplied by $10.00 per thousand. For example: $100,000 General List Value x 40% = $40,000. 40 x $10.00 = $400. surety bond premium. There is a $100 minimum premium. (Note India requires 55% bond. Road vehicles exported to any carnet country by a company require a 100% security and exported by an individual require 150%. Any vehicle going to China, regardless if driven on roads or not, or company vs. individual, is always 150% security.)

Is it Insurance?

The carnet bond is not insurance. It guarantees payment of duties and taxes to customs if you, the carnet holder and principal on the bond, are not able to fulfill your obligations under the terms of the carnet and carnet bond. For this reason it is important that you understand the responsibilities of a carnet holder.

What Does the ATA Carnet Bond Say?

At the time of approval of your application your bond will be provided digitally and signed digitally. However, you may download a copy of the bond here for review. If you decide to get your carnet bond from another source, be sure to utilize the bond form wording provided on the downloaded form. Otherwise the bond cannot be accepted.