ATA Carnet

ATA Carnet international guaranteeing chain (the ATA Chain) 

What is the ATA Chain? 

The ATA Chain is a guaranteeing mechanism administered by the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) to which all NGAs, including their issuing network, appointed by customs authorities are affiliated for the operation of the Customs Convention on ATA Carnets for the temporary admission of goods (ATA Convention, entered into force on 30 July 1963) and / or the Convention on Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention, entered into force on 27 November 1993).   

WCF, through its World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC), has been the ICC body resonsible for the administration of the ATA Chain since 1963. Today we are also leading the digitalisation of ATA Carnets.

Why is the ATA Chain needed? 

The ATA Chain secures the payment and reimbursement among NGAs for the import duties and taxes in the event of non-compliance.  

The ATA/Istanbul Convention only specifies the payment obligation of the NGA in the country of temporary admission/transit towards its customs authority but does not specify the relationship among NGAs. This void is regulated by the instruments governing the operation of the ATA Chain. Within the rules of the ATA Chain, the NGA in the country of temporary admission/transit can get a reimbursement from the NGA in the country of issue, and NGAs commit to collaborate in claims management.  

In every country/customs territory, the operation of the ATA Carnet procedure can only get underway once the appointed NGA joins the ATA chain. 

NGAs are the trusted partners of customs (domestic and foreign), other NGAs, the ICC WCF Secretariat, and their respective import/export business communities. 

Each NGA is appointed by its national customs authority to administer the ATA operation, in collaboration with national customs, on a day-to-day basis.  

As the name would imply, the NGA acts as guarantor in relation to its customs authority for the payment of import duties and taxes chargeable in the event of non-compliance with the conditions of temporary admission or transit for goods admitted into its country/customs territory under cover of an ATA Carnet. This obligation is established under the ATA/Istanbul Convention. NGA liability is up to 110% of the amount of the import duties and taxes. 

In addition, each NGA acts as guarantor in relation to foreign NGAs for the payment of import duties and taxes payable in foreign countries on ATA Carnets issued under its authority. This obligation is established under the Protocol on the organisation of an international customs deposits in respect of ATA Carnets that all NGAs accepted before they were accepted into the ATA chain. It establishes that the NGA in the country of temporary admission or transit can get a reimbursement from the NGA in the country of issue after the payment of import duties and taxes is made.  

NGAs work together with their customs administration and other NGAs for claims management. Without the guaranteeing chain, the ATA Carnet procedure cannot be implemented.  

Each country/customs territory has one single NGA. With the approval of customs and under its responsibility and guarantee, an NGA may choose to issue ATA Carnets and/or delegate such privilege to other associations.  

World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC)

WATAC is a Specialised Council managed by ICC. The day-to-day operation of WATAC is undertaken by the WCF Secretariat.  

WATAC is the forum that brings together all NGAs of the ATA Chain to promote the use of the ATA Carnet to facilitate international trade and to ensure the integrity and sustainability of the ATA Chain. It supports ICC in the: 

• operation, management and expansion of the ATA Chain, and  
• promotion of best practices and ensuring that NGAs, together with the IAs under the NGA umbrella, comply with their responsibilities in relation to the ATA Carnet Guaranteeing activities and ATA Carnet Issuing activities. 

The role of WATAC is to:  

• engage with international, regional and national governments and agencies, through ICC structures, to explain and support the role of issuing and guaranteeing associations;  
• recommend to WCF General Council the long-term strategy of ATA Carnet and the annual programme of action (within the overall framework of the WCF programme of action);  
• ensure that the members of WATAC provide ATA Carnet issuing statistics and claims statistics to assist ICC in the preparation of global reports; 
• recommend to the WCF General Council the affiliation or the suspension of an individual member of the ATA Chain;  
• examine questions of interest relevant to NGAs, IAs and carnet users; 
• review mechanisms established for the operation of the ATA Chain and submit proposals for approval by the WCF Executive Committee in relation to those mechanisms to ensure ongoing relevance;  
• elect the chair of WATAC and the vice Chair; 
• select members of the ATA Carnet Administrative Committee (ATAC) which is the executive body of WATAC; 
• establish and dissolve sub-working groups, and define their terms of reference (as necessary), to assist with the activities of WATAC subject to the approval of the WCF Secretariat. 

WATAC leadership 2023-2025 

• Chair: Mr. Henk Wit from the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) 
• Vice Chair: Mr. Declan Daly from United States Council for International Business (USCIB)  

The leadership of WATAC is also the leadership of ATAC.   

ATA Carnet Administrative Committee (ATAC) 

ATAC is the executive body of WATAC. It is comprised of WATAC Chair, Vice Chair, and 12 selected WATAC members:

• Austrian Federal Economic Chamber  
• Fédération des Chambres de Commerce belges (Belgian Chambers) 
• China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) 
• Alliance of Swiss Chambers of Commerce  
• Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de région Paris Ile-de-FranceFrance 
• Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce 
• Oslo Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia   
• South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
• London Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce​
• German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)