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Beijing Winter Olympics Benefit from Boomerang Carnets

Monday, January 10, 2022

The Carnet One-Year Advantage

The Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing February 4-20, and the Paralympics from March 4-13.  In September, The International Olympic Committee announced that tickets were to be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland who meet the requirements of the COVID-19 countermeasures.  Spectators the world over will watch the ceremonies and games on their devices of choice, just as with the Tokyo Summer Olympics.  We rely on media and broadcasting companies to bring it all to us. Those companies, in turn, rely on ATA and CPD Carnets for the temporary export of their cameras, broadcasting equipment, and media vehicles into and out of China to cover the Games.  Some of the benefits of carnet use are the tremendous savings, ease clearing customs, and 12-month validity period.  ATA Carnets and CPDs save time and money!

The ATA Carnet is an internationally accepted customs document for temporarily exported merchandise or goods.  It allows cross border movement of those goods import-duty and -tax free into 87+ carnet countries and territories for up to a year.  The ATA Carnet is known as the “Merchandise Passport” for boomerang freight®.  

The CPD, known formally as Carnet de Passages en Douane, is a customs document that differs from the ATA Carnet in that it is used for the temporary admission of road vehicles (private and commercial road motor vehicles) in countries where required.  The CPD is known as the “Vehicle Passport” which allows a vehicle to enter multiple countries for temporary importation without paying the import-duty and -taxes and is valid for up to a year.  They also provide an extra layer of protection clearing customs in countries where they are not required.

After the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics concluded, the broadcasting, media, and vendor companies who would also be covering or supplying services to the Beijing Winter Games took full advantage of their already issued ATA Carnets and CPDs which are valid for an entire year.  With only months separating the two Olympics, broadcasting/media customers and vendors either stored their equipment, vehicles, and goods in Japan until they could be shipped, or moved them into China and stored them there so that they were ready on time—all on the same carnet.  This super saver strategy saved customers money in freight and customs fees, and valuable time.    

Boomerang has been a sponsor for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Team since 2014, and we are excited to assist getting their unique sports equipment to Beijing with ATA Carnets.  We are looking forward to cheering them on!  If you are a photographer, media company, cameraman, sports cinematographer, athlete, team, or vendor going to Beijing for the Olympics, there is still time.  Call us.  Boomerang has been in the business for 35 years and we know firsthand how to assist those last-minute carnet needs specific to the sports, media, and broadcast industries.  Our Carnet Specialists are on hand to help you with any questions you may have. 

Boomerang can accommodate U.S. customers with both ATA Carnets and CPD international customs documents.  In addition, we have authority to issue CPDs for Canada.  We are here to assist you 24/7, just call the Carnet HelpLine® 1-800-ATA-2900 | 1-800-282-2900 or email us.

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