Boomerang Carnets & Liverpool Chamber Welcome Film Expert

Looking for answers about ATA Carnets?  Wondering if you even need one for your location shoot in another country or international production?

Boomerang & Liverpool’s new partner Eric Huyton, a freelance documentary cinematographer with over 30 years of experience, knows.  He has worked with the BBC, Sir David Attenborough, traveled to the farthest reaches of the world and is acutely familiar with the challenges of crossing borders with an ATA Carnet from experience.  Never has an ATA Carnet issuing office had such hands-on experience at their disposal and the Liverpool Chamber is to be commended for their initiative.  

According to Eric: “It’s an essential thing to clear Customs.  The carnet is not a nice thing to have—it is an ESSENTIAL thing to have for your trip.  You’ve got to do it!”

The ATA Carnet is an internationally accepted customs document used for temporarily exported merchandise, goods, or equipment and allows you to pass through Customs import-duty and -tax free into 87+ carnet countries and territories for up to a year.  Given the value of equipment moving into and out of countries for shoots, ATA Carnets offer considerable savings and serve as a temporary export declaration for goods allowing for re-entry into the U.K. duty and tax free. 

ATA Carnets can be used for camera bodies, lenses, tripods, lighting equipment, drones/UAVs, monitors, hard drives/storage, computers, batteries, set pieces/props, apparel/costumes, and more.  Exceptions are consumable items, disposable items, and postal traffic. 

An ATA Carnet is valid for up to 12 months without import-duty or -tax due which allows you to adapt to a robust shooting schedule and budget accordingly.  They can and are often secured for multiple countries to accommodate production demands.  An ATA Carnet also serves as registration of your kit with HMR Customs and is proof that your equipment, gear, and goods originated in the U.K. 

Ask Eric Huyton!

You can now approach Eric directly with questions about ATA Carnets through the new website MediaCarnets.co.uk dedicated to providing answers about ATA Carnet use specifically for the Film & TV/Commercial/Gaming industry.  Log on for a chat. 

Boomerang carnets® UK offers competitive pricing on ATA Carnets for international productions. 

Boomerang carnets® UK, through its partner the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, offers affordable Same Day Carnet Service® in Bristol, Cardiff, and Southwest areas as well as Liverpool, London, at Heathrow, Gatwick, the Eurotunnel, and Pinewood Studios in Leeds.  As is typical, carnets can also be shipped by overnight courier to anywhere in the U.K.

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact the Carnet HelpLine® 0808.189.3400 or email us.  If you need to ship your kit or other production items as cargo, Boomerang has freight forwarder partners who can deliver your carnet, as well as handle your freight.