An ATA Carnet acts as a 'passport for goods’, allowing for duty and tax-free temporary movement of goods between countries. The ATA Carnet scheme is now operating in over 80 countries worldwide, and has been particularly important in allowing UK-based companies to temporarily import their goods into the EU since new Brexit rules came into place in 2021.
In particular, ATA Carnets are frequently used to take cars and associated equipment overseas for races and motoring events.
We spoke to Sukie Duhaney of CARS UK, who has worked as the head of CPD Carnets at CARS UK for 7 years:
Could you tell us a bit about your business and what you do?
CARS UK is a multinational transport company with offices in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Dubai, Japan, and of course, the UK.
We move vehicles nationally and internationally to allow people to participate in rallies, organised tours, self-guided tours, and more. CARS UK is the official shipping partner for some very big events, as well as an ongoing sponsor of the London to Brighton Veteran Rally, which I’m very happy to say I have been part of.
What is your background in the exporting business?
Before I came to work with CARS UK, I was head of the export documentation team at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. As a result, I spent many of my former years issuing ATA Carnets and knew the ATA Carnet system very well.
I now deal with many race teams who require ATA Carnets to enter the EU to participate in racing events. Back in 2020, just before new Brexit rules came into place, race teams became somewhat panicked about how to enter the EU with their race cars and tools. Once ‘lockdown’ rules were relaxed and racing events were scheduled, I had an influx of calls about ATA Carnets – however, we at CARS UK only issue CPD Carnets. Once I recognised the clients’ needs for ATA Carnets, it made sense to assist with and facilitate their ATA Carnet applications.
Why do you purchase your ATA Carnets from Business West?
I knew of the Business West ATA Carnet team from my Chamber days, and I also knew it was one of the only Chambers offering the ‘express’ Carnet service, whereby the applicant can print their own document.
Using the ‘express’ service allows me to prepare my applications at a silly time of the morning, submit them and print them within 24 hours. For example, I sometimes have clients with very expensive cars that need to be on a next-day flight and need a very quick turnaround. The ‘express’ service allows me to work quickly, and the Carnet team assist with meeting my deadlines.
How do you find working with the Business West team?
The Business West ATA Carnet team are super-friendly and efficient, and they have helped me out of a few holes over the years!
There have been times when I am applying for Carnets from a beach abroad and needed them to be printed and delivered directly to my client back in the UK. In these instances, I will use the ‘standard’ Carnet service, which means that the Business West team prints the Carnet for me. This allows for great flexibility and means I can submit my applications from anywhere in the world.
Do you have any advice for other motorsport organisations and individuals who need to temporarily export their cars and equipment?
The main advice I would offer anyone, whether a small race team, a large corporate company or an individual is: don’t rock up to customs without the correct paperwork!
I had a client who thought it would be a good idea to ignore my advice and take his £2 million race car to France without an ATA Carnet. Off he went with the car on the back of his trailer, and when he arrived at the French border, he had nothing to present to the customs officers. They proceeded to give him an on-the-spot fine of £10,000 and told him to go back and get the correct documentation. If he hadn’t paid the fine, they would have confiscated his vehicle!
Find out more information about Business West ATA Carnets.
Find out more about CARS UK.
Apply for an ATA Carnet today
Start creating and submitting your ATA Carnets today. To apply for your carnet, you'll be taken to our easy-to-use export documentation platform, eCert.