Having a real time system available will eliminate cumbersome paperwork and make coping with any change of plan easier.
66 years on from the launch of the ATA carnet system, the first paperless carnet has been used for temporary export and return.
The transactions originated in Switzerland, an ATA carnet founding member, with a batch of goods checked through to travel to Canada. A couple of weeks later, they returned and were successfully processed at Zurich customs.
A perfect demonstration that carnets can be handled digitally, without any error and in a time saving way. The culmination of a test phase under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Mercury ℿ project.
Cooperative Progress
The ICC are not taking the project forward on their own. The World Customs Organization have significant input and six countries are supporting the pilot project, Belgium, China, Russia, Switzerland, the US and the UK.
Our team have been closely monitoring progress and we have a soon to be launched digital system of our own. Compatibility with the ICC tool will come into play, although we want clients to have an efficiency edge as soon as possible.
Security will improve, 24/7 access be available and an online record of transactions. Each detail of your carnet will be available in a searchable format, a useful step towards the future of business travel.
The Next 66 Years
Looking at what is going through customs at present, in six decades time perhaps your personal robot will talk wirelessly to the customs robot, job done.
Whatever the outcome, AI developments will change the system but for the foreseeable future, making paper free carnets a reality is the task. This requires 78 countries to be in tune with the online needs of 200,000 carnets every year.
The pilot project has 6 months to run before details are finalised, then a roll out can begin. Implementation should not be too slow, every nation involved has the capability to take part and all wish to improve administration.
We will keep you posted and if you want any advice on the digitalisation of carnets, by all means give our friendly team a call.