The UAE has begun rolling out the eATA Carnet system, a digital platform for issuing and processing ATA Carnets, making it the first country outside Europe to implement a fully digital platform for these documents.
The carnets cover the temporary import and export of goods for exhibitions, conferences and trade events, and the new system replaces paper-based procedures to cut customs clearance times and simplify cross-border trade.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce is leading the rollout alongside UAE customs authorities and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The chamber has acted as the UAE’s National Guaranteeing and Issuing Association since the country joined the system in 2011, and is one of only 13 chambers out of 1,200 ICC members implementing the digital carnet.
Between 2011 and 2025, 63,591 carnets were issued and received for goods valued at AED 54.4 billion. Authorities expect the change to reduce the time, effort and cost of temporarily admitting goods, as part of wider UAE efforts to digitise government services.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer