ATA单证册怎么办？81国通行与四联签注

ATA Carnet: The Complete Guide to Duty-Free Temporary Admission for Exhibits and Professional Equipment

An ATA Carnet is the internationally accepted customs document for duty-free temporary import and export. JITQS ATA Carnet services cover the whole process: pre-screening, issuance assistance, export clearance, import coordination, and final discharge. "ATA" combines the French Admission Temporaire and the English Temporary Admission — literally, temporary admission. A single carnet is valid across 81 contracting parties (countries and territories), and acts as the "passport" for goods moving in and out on a temporary basis: exhibition displays, test equipment, stage props and the like. JITQS has run this process end to end for EICMA, the Milan Motorcycle Show.

What an ATA Carnet does

• Exemption from import duty and VAT. Goods admitted temporarily into a contracting party under a carnet are not required to pay customs duty or VAT.

• No import licence. In most cases there is no need to apply separately for an import permit.

• One document, many countries. A single carnet can be used across several contracting parties, which suits multi-country touring exhibitions.

• Simplified clearance. No separate declaration in each country — the carnet itself serves as the customs document.

For exhibiting companies the most immediate benefit is reduced capital tie-up. Exhibits can be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of RMB. Under general trade import, duty and VAT must be paid up front; under a carnet you only lodge a security deposit or a letter of guarantee with the issuing chamber, which is refunded or released once the carnet is discharged after re-import.

What a carnet covers

The ATA Convention permits temporary admission and re-export of the following goods:

Goods not covered by a carnet:

• Consumables (food, beverages, cosmetics, brochures)

• Goods intended for sale

• Goods intended for processing or repair

• Controlled items (weapons, narcotics, endangered species and similar)

When pre-screening an exhibit list, JITQS works through this checklist item by item and separates consumables out of the carnet so they clear under general trade instead. This is the single most effective way to avoid having an entire carnet refused.

The application process

Stage 1 — Pre-screening (2 working days).

Before the formal application, the exhibit list, packing method, declared values and HS classification are pre-screened to confirm that every item falls within the scope permitted by the ATA Convention. Pre-screening is what prevents a carnet from being refused at issue, or rejected at destination clearance, because of an ineligible category.

Stage 2 — Issuance application (3–5 working days).

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) is the issuing chamber for ATA Carnets in China. Applicants submit:

• ATA Carnet application form

• Exhibit list (item name, quantity, value, HS code)

• Security deposit or letter of guarantee (typically 50–100% of goods value)

• Copy of the business licence

• Exhibition invitation letter or contract

Stage 3 — Export clearance.

As the goods leave through a Chinese port, customs stamps and validates the exportation counterfoil of the carnet. Make sure that:

• the customs stamp is complete and legible;

• the goods match the list;

• the seals are intact.

Stage 4 — Import clearance in the destination country.

On arrival, destination customs stamps the importation counterfoil and admits the goods temporarily, duty-free. You may be asked to:

• cooperate with customs inspection, if any;

• provide supporting documents such as the invitation letter or proof of participation;

• confirm the period of admission granted (commonly 6 to 12 months).

Stage 5 — Re-export and validation.

After the show, the goods must be re-exported within the carnet's validity, and destination customs stamps the re-exportation counterfoil to validate the movement.

Stage 6 — Discharge on return.

When the goods are re-imported into China, Chinese customs stamps the re-importation counterfoil, the carnet is discharged, and the deposit is refunded.

On timing: from pre-screening to holding the original carnet takes roughly 5 to 7 working days. Allowing for mailing and internal circulation, JITQS advises exhibiting companies to open the application 45 days before the show.

Validity periods

• Carnet validity: one year from the date of issue.

• Period of admission: the stay granted by destination customs — commonly six months, and extendable.

• Extensions: must be applied for while the carnet is still valid. They cannot be arranged after expiry.

The 81 contracting parties

The ATA Convention currently covers 81 countries and territories:

Membership changes as countries accede to the convention, so always check the current CCPIT announcement before filing. JITQS's European exhibition logistics move mainly under ATA temporary admission; our China–Europe trucking can run through Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus to reach EU venue unloading areas directly.

The five pitfalls that cost exhibitors

1. Consumables.

Food, beverages, cosmetics and brochures fall outside the ATA Convention and must clear under general trade. If consumables appear on the exhibit list, the whole carnet may be refused.

2. Partial re-export and discharge.

Where exhibits leave in batches — part returning home, part moving on to another show — each movement must be stamped separately on the carnet. A missing stamp means the carnet cannot be discharged and the deposit is forfeited. On multi-show or split-return projects, JITQS confirms the stamping points with the destination agent before each batch departs, so no stamp is missed.

3. Overstaying the validity period.

If goods are not re-exported in time, destination customs will levy duty and VAT on the goods value plus penalties, and the issuing chamber will call on the deposit.

4. Goods sold or given away.

Exhibits sold or given away at a show cannot be re-exported under the carnet. They must go through formal import declaration in the destination country, with duty and VAT paid, while a partial discharge is filed at home. In Italy, for example, the standard VAT rate (IVA) is currently 22%.

5. Lost or damaged carnets.

A lost carnet must be reported to the issuing chamber at once and a replacement requested. Damage — illegible stamps, torn pages — can cause destination customs to refuse clearance. Carry the original with the vehicle or shipment at all times, and keep a scanned copy separately.

JITQS full-process ATA Carnet services

JITQS handles ATA Carnet pre-screening, issuance assistance, export clearance, import coordination and discharge — for exhibition logistics at international shows including EICMA, the Milan Motorcycle Show — with air, sea and China–Europe trucking options.

Our accompanying exhibition logistics service can be bundled into a single all-in project price covering domestic pickup, warehousing and crating, border transloading, transit transport, overseas delivery, venue entry booking and unloading coordination, and post-show teardown, return shipment and carnet discharge. The client only confirms the booth number and the show dates. For scheduling, see the European Exhibition Logistics Reverse Timeline.