The ATA Carnet is recognized as a "passport for customs clearance" for temporarily imported goods. With the vigorous development of activities such as sports events and exhibitions in China, the number of ATA Carnets supervised by national customs has reached a new peak. It was learned on January 30 that in 2025, national customs supervised a total of 28,457 temporary import, temporary export, re-import, and re-export shipments under the ATA Carnet system, a year-on-year increase of 7.86%, with a total value of $3.721 billion. The number of cross-border goods shipments under the ATA Carnet system hit a new high in the past five years. It is understood that the ATA Carnet, with its unified and simplified procedures, can effectively enhance the customs clearance efficiency for temporarily imported and exported goods. During the 2025-2026 season FIS World Cup, batches of critical competition equipment passed inspections by the Beijing Capital Airport Customs and were transported to various competition venues. To date, seven batches of specialized equipment for international ice and snow events have been successfully cleared through the Capital Airport Customs using ATA Carnets, including snowplows, timers, professional event equipment and supporting electronic devices, cables, and tools, totaling 2,024 items with a value of approximately 2.1534 million RMB. "The event schedule is very tight; if the relevant equipment cannot arrive on time, it will directly affect the on-site setup and preparations," said Xu Hairong, Customs Declaration Manager at Beijing Chengshuntongda International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. In response to the wide variety of event equipment and tight clearance timelines, customs opened a green channel to minimize clearance time, ensuring that event supplies can move immediately upon arrival. "Using the ATA Carnet has significantly improved equipment clearance efficiency, and we are more confident in our event preparations," Xu Hairong remarked with satisfaction. Leveraging the ATA Carnet system, China's international trade network is expanding. Data shows that in 2025, national customs supervised 10,073 temporary export carnets under the ATA system, an increase of 11.59% year-on-year. Simultaneously, an increasing number of countries are using ATA Carnets for trade with China. The number of source countries for temporary imports under the ATA Carnet system grew from over 40 countries and regions in 2024 to 56. The number of carnets for various purposes has also risen significantly. Carnets for "exhibitions, trade fairs, and exchange meetings," "commercial samples," and "professional equipment" increased by 23.91%, 61.17%, and 35.57% year-on-year, respectively. In practice, the facilitation measures of the ATA Carnet have effectively supported the efficient customs clearance of temporarily imported and exported materials in various sectors, including international exhibitions, emerging industries, large-scale events, and high-level talent development. For instance, high-tech precision instruments for the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo and advanced medical equipment for Chinese medical companies participating in the North American Radiological Society annual meeting have all moved smoothly under the protection of ATA Carnets. It was further learned that China has been aligning with high-standard international trade rules and cooperating with the World Customs Organization to advance the global ATA Carnet electronic system for six years. In January 2020, Beijing Customs took the lead nationwide in launching a pilot run of this system. To date, the number of pilot ports in China has expanded to six.
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