Springing Ahead with ATA Carnet Progress

As spring unfolds, it's the perfect time to reflect on recent milestones and exciting developments in our ATA Carnet services – particularly in the drive towards digital transformation.  

Record-Breaking February

February 2025 marked the busiest February on record for our ATA Carnet service. This surge in carnet issuances and transactions highlights the increasing reliance of UK businesses on the ATA Carnet scheme as a trusted tool for the temporary, duty- and tax-free movement of goods.

Accelerating Digital Progress

The journey toward digitalisation of the ATA Carnet scheme is picking up pace. Across the UK and participating countries, preparations are ongoing with customs teams and port authorities. Recent training sessions for customs officers in Germany, Turkey, Serbia, and, most recently, China further reflect a global commitment to transitioning the scheme into the digital age.

Here in the UK, training has now been completed at Holyhead Port, where several successful digital transactions between Dublin and Holyhead have already taken place. These early test cases provide valuable insights into how the eATA Carnet app performs in real-world scenarios.

Hot on Holyhead’s heels will be Dover followed swiftly by Southampton, Portsmouth, Felixstowe and Harwich due to begin accepting test eATA Carnets sometime in April May/June (dates TBC). In tandem, UK Chambers are continuing integration work on their issuing platforms and onboarding with the global ICC (International Chambers of Commerce) platform.

As more UK ports join the eATA Carnet pilot, we encourage all Carnet users to begin familiarising themselves with the digital process. The transition from paper to digital is expected in early 2026 — so now is the time to get ahead of the curve and even influence how the eATA Carnet app evolves in the coming year.

New Online ATA Carnet Training

To support traders during this transition, our popular ATA Carnet training is now available in a convenient on-demand format via the Vimeo platform. If you'd like to access this online training, please visit our training page.

Together, we’re helping to shape a smarter, more efficient framework for international trade, and we thank all our customers for being part of the journey.