carnet

Your Roanoke Trade Carnet Service Representative can assist you with all of your questions regarding Carnet use, but here are a few important points to keep in mind before you depart:

Read the inside of the blue protective cover of your Carnet thoroughly. The information in the cover explains how the Carnet should be handled at each point along your trip.
Your Green Cover (the first page of the Carnet document inside the outer protective folder) must be validated by U.S. Customs prior to your first departure.
If your goods are being shipped, be sure that your carrier understands that a Carnet is accompanying the goods and that they are familiar with handling a Carnet. Carnets are not a required document. (Keep in mind that many package carriers such as FedEx and UPS do NOT handle Carnets at all.)
The Carnet Holder (the company or individual named on the Green Cover of the Carnet) is responsible for the payment of any customs claims should they become due as a result of misuse of the Carnet. Even if you have a bond as your security, you are still responsible for paying any claims.
If you're not sure, call your Carnet Service Representative BEFORE you leave.

Avoiding a claim

If a Carnet is not used correctly or if there is no proof of re-exportation from a foreign country, the Carnet Holder (the company or individual named on the Carnet) is responsible for paying any foreign customs claims that may arise. Situations that often result in a claim include:

Failure to re-exported goods prior to the expiration of the Carnet or, in some cases, the final date for re-exportation as determined by the foreign customs.
goods are lost or stolen and not properly reported.
Carnet certificates are not properly validated by customs officials on the way into or out of the U.S. or foreign country.
Improper or inadequate description or value of merchandise on the General List.

If you find yourself in a situation in which you may be facing a claim from foreign customs, contact your Carnet Service Representative immediately. There are often proactive approaches that can be used to reduce a claim or avoid it entirely.

Late re-exportation and Replacement Carnets

Although you should never use a Carnet if you know that your goods will be remaining in a foreign country beyond the expiration date of the Carnet, there are situations in which the unexpected happens. If you find that your goods will not be re-exported from a foreign country prior to the expiration of your Carnet, it is very important that you contact your Carnet Service Representative well in advance (usually about 4-6 weeks prior to the expiration date.) We will work with you to assess your situation and determine the best course of action to avoid a customs claim. In some situations it may be possible to obtain a "Replacement Carnet," or a newly issued Carnet, that will grant some additional time for re-exportation. There are a number of restrictions with Replacement Carnets, however, and they are not accepted in all Carnet countries. If possible, however, the best course of action is always to re-export your goods prior to midnight of the expiration date.