Latin American nations urged to adopt "passports for goods"
Miami, Florida, 1 June 1998 - The International Chamber of Commerce appealed to Latin American countries to accept trading documents allowing temporary duty-free entry of goods. The documents, known as ATA carnets, are already in widespread use in other parts of the world.
ICC Secretary General Maria Livanos Cattaui made the plea before an audience of international trade and senior customs officials at the Symposium of the Americas conference here, which is debating practical measures for improving customs services and making border controls more effective.
ATA carnets - the letters stand for the French and English words "Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission" - are already operated by 53 trading nations. These "passports for goods" allow the temporary import for up to one year of items for trade fairs and exhibitions, professional equipment and commercial samples. They can range from a rock star's sound system to a laptop.
In 1997, some 193,000 carnets were issued worldwide, covering goods with an estimated value of $11.5 billion.
Ms Cattaui said that, except for Canada and the United States, no country in the Americas was yet a member of the ATA system, although Mexico had ratified the relevant convention and was known to be close to implementing it. "I would therefore strongly encourage business and customs in your countries to consider the advantages of the ATA carnet."
The ATA system is jointly administered under international customs conventions by ICC's International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce (IBCC) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). The carnets themselves are issued through a network of chambers of commerce and business associations. ICC's affiliate, the US Council for International Business, is the administering body in the United States.
The ICC Secretary General said: "In the coming months, IBCC and the US Council for International Business will intensify their efforts to expand the ATA carnet system in the Americas.
"We very much hope to be able to count on business and customs administrations in the region to lend their strong support to extending the advantages of the ATA system to this dynamic part of the world where international trade is growing rapidly."
Ms Cattaui hailed the ATA carnet system as an excellent example of how cooperation between business and governments can contribute to trade facilitation.
International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce