Visits to Normandy give an opportunity to enjoy the local food, all the better if this can come to us.
With travel restrictions eased, the 2022 May bank holiday saw a group of Norman food providers and chefs visit South East England. Stopping at Hastings, Windsor, Norwich and Canterbury, to promote their wares and their region.
An opportunity to sell, or build relationships and to push post Brexit tourism from the UK. Freshly prepared items were supplied from food trucks, cider and cheese tasting offered, together with support from a vibrant concert vehicle.
Alongside the produce, their trip called for broadcasting and other professional equipment to be brought over. An aspect organised for them by the Normandy Chamber of Commerce, who chose an ATA carnet as the solution.
An Accepted Approach
The Normandy Chamber representative described the ATA carnet as “An approved document, intended to facilitate international trade but above all to simplify customs formalities.” In essence, a helpful aspect of their cross channel trip.
Apart from allowing us to taste the finest escalope a la Normande, the party’s ATA carnet avoided delay, or hassle and spread amongst participants, the cost was nominal. Neither are they alone in choosing this solution.
The Chamber mentioned an association of Norman painters, who will be making a summer tour of French and English beaches, using an ATA carnet. A group of French engineers coming to the UK to service digital measuring equipment opted for the same cover.
Others will be coming from Holland, Italy, Spain and other EU countries. Post Brexit reality requires them to meet customs requirements, they are likely to be grateful for an established method of easy travel.
Temporary Versus Permanent
ATA carnets are of course only suited to temporary export, generally up to a year, for professional equipment, trade shows, or commercial samples. They do not solve all the requirements of Brexit, which are gradually being implemented for UK entry.
Even so, there are aspects of carnets which could be drawn on for wider needs. They are a more or less global document, created and managed to solve practical problems, rather than support national interests.
They have quickly been adopted across the EU for business travel to the UK, as they were in the other direction. Customs authorities across Europe are familiar with carnets, they follow the logic and see no downsides.
If we can help with an ATA carnet for the EU, by all mean get in touch. A way we can continue to travel across Europe, as we did before.