Hampshire Chamber of Commerce has issued its first digital Carnet, for a time-critical business round-trip to Norway.
Details of the reason for the visit, and the goods involved, are undisclosed but the Carnet holder is a Hampshire company that approached the Chamber for help.
Seen as electronic ‘passports for goods’, digital Carnets represent an evolution of paper-based international customs documents and are currently at a trial stage in the UK ahead of an intended roll-out due to begin in 2026.
Like their paper equivalents, they permit temporary, duty-free movement of equipment, goods and commercial samples in and out of countries.
They are considered a safer, more secure and more environmentally friendly solution than paper, with reduced business risk as they cannot be physically lost.
During this trial stage, representatives of companies and organisations that wish to use a digital Carnet alongside a paper Carnet can download the ‘ATA Carnet ‘App.
Developed by the International Chambers of Commerce, the app is downloaded via Google Play Store for android devices and the App Store for iPhones.
ATA is an acronym combining the French and English terms ‘admission temporaire’ and ‘temporary admission’ with Carnet being the French word for ‘notebook’. In effect, ATA Carnet means ‘Temporary Admission Notebook’.
Hampshire Chamber is one of the organisations that can issue ATA Carnets in the UK.
Jacqueline Highmore, International Trade Manager at Hampshire Chamber, said: “The process of moving goods between countries can be complicated with duties and taxes to be paid and customs declarations to be completed.
“ATA Carnets provide a helpful alternative which in time will be fully digital.
“They are ideal for businesses exhibiting at trade fairs, sales teams taking commercial samples to show clients, sports organisations attending competitions with kit, and musicians moving instruments and equipment to perform at overseas concerts and festivals.
“We are proud that Hampshire Chamber is one of the lead organisations in the UK entitled to process and issue digital Carnets.”
Davor Antonic-McKinley, Head of ATA Carnet Procedures and Compliance at the Carnet governing body UKNATACO, the UK National ATA Carnet Organisation, said: “Congratulations to Hampshire Chamber of Commerce on issuing their first digital ATA Carnet, which was successfully processed by UK and Norwegian Customs.
“I am delighted for the team as they worked diligently to introduce this capability, which will greatly benefit their members and the wider business community.”
The latest UK trade data, for the second quarter of 2024, indicated a 1.1% rise in good exports to the EU and a 1.5% increase for the rest of the world.
Imports from the EU rose by 3.6% while imports from non-EU countries saw a larger rise of 10.4% largely driven by machinery and transport equipment from the US and China.
For background information on ATA Carnets, click here.
About Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is the independent voice of local business across the county and one of the largest regional business networks in the UK. With a strategic vision to ‘unlock Hampshire’s potential’, Hampshire Chamber brings together the combined influence, strength and expertise of the county’s three former major chambers. It works with over 2,000 individual firms spanning all sectors and sizes of business. Member services include training, advice, international trade documentation, events, networking opportunities and lobbying to policymakers on issues affecting business. Hampshire Chamber’s PEER network (standing for Participation, Engagement, Expertise and Reputation) is a member community designed to help any employer to grow and thrive irrespective of their stage on the enterprise journey.
