As of April 15, Mongolia plans to scrap duties on a variety of temporary imports, and Chile is poised to become the first Latin American country to do so.

Mongolia will join the ATA Carnet system, and will waive import duties on professional equipment, goods for exhibitions and fairs, and imports for scientific, educational and cultural purposes.

Meanwhile, hopes to extend use of Carnets into Latin America received a boost when Chile ratified the Istanbul Convention on temporary admission, an essential step toward full participation in the ATA Carnet system.  At present, no nation south of the Rio Grande accepts Carnets.

“Chile has crossed the first hurdle,” said Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s vice president for Carnet operations.  “It still needs to appoint a national guaranteeing association to put the ATA Carnet system into effect.”  The country is a significant U.S. export market, with total U.S. exports to Chile amounting to $2.7 billion last year, she observed.

Eleven Mongolian customs offices will accept Carnets as part of their normal operations.  ATA Carnets will be guaranteed by the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The country does not plan to accept Carnets for commercial samples, postal traffic, goods for transit or unaccompanied goods.

Chile formally notified the World Customs Organization on March 3 that it had ratified the Istanbul Convention of 1993, a single international instrument that combines all existing conventions on temporary importation.

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