The Qatar Chamber announced recently that it has been chosen to guarantee the ATA Carnet customs program in Qatar.
The ATA Carnet is a special type of passport for exporting and importing goods and is accepted by 75 countries. The ATA Carnet allows holders to forgo normal customs procedures and fees and import items into a member country without paying any taxes for up to one year. The ATA Carnet is administered by the World Customs Organization.
In order for a country to offer the program, an agency or organization needs to guarantee that the rights and privileges of the program will be available and enforced. The Qatar Chamber will play this role in Qatar, a move officials hope will be a boon to international trade moving through Qatar.
“Facilitating customs procedures is the cornerstone to support imports, exports and trade in general,” Qatar Chamber Legal Affairs Department Head Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said.
In addition to facilitating trade, the program is seen as a good way of encouraging more international participation in exhibitions, trade shows, conferences and other gatherings where business representatives from other countries need to bring goods with them.The ATA Carnet covers commercial samples, professional equipment and tools and goods for fairs and other exhibitions.
The ATA Carnet does not cover food, agricultural products, disposables or explosives.
Chamber officials said the program is a good example of the positive outcomes of collaboration between the business and customs industries.
