ASOG Article of the Month – December 2020
ASOG Author: Gareth Davies
As Airborne Sensor Operators, many of us travel internationally with our high-tech gear. When this happens, there is a bit of paperwork that needs to be prepared before crossing any border. If the paperwork is not right, you're going to find yourself making things harder than they should. Gareth Davies provides some great tips to keep your life more straightforward on the road and avoid some of his experiences.
One of the advantages (few some might interject) of the European Union was the doing away of long winded and time-consuming customs office visits that was the norm every time you crossed a border into another country.
I Got It All Figured-Out…. “Not”
Back in the day, as a marketing guy heading into the former Eastern European countries with demonstration aerial transmission equipment (helicopter camera image to ground transmission datalink systems) dealing with Customs and Border guard officers thus became a nightmare.
On one of my first assignments crossing boarders, I learned a great lesson on how to navigate the world of border control paperwork and personalities. My assignment was to drive up to Poland and present or demo the functionality of my firm’s latest downlink system.
I speak and understand German but every time I returned from Switzerland through Austria to return to Munich Germany, the Austrians and Bayern (state that contains Munich) customs officers would (it seemed to me) change their accents and become broader than I was used to and that they would ask questions that appeared non-specific to what the kit would do. In other words mess me about. It became a nightmare even before crossing the Polish border for the first time.
The German Side of the Border
I had a presentation in Warsaw and driving with a German registered car I was expecting issues. I booked a B & B in Goerlitz, on the German/Polish border and had explained my concern to the owner. He informed me of a border crossing, with customs, on the Stadtbrucke (literally townbridge) into the Polish town of Zgorzelec just around the corner. Bingo, I thought, bypass the truckers queues at the border would make my life easier.
(P.S. Previously, crossing into the former Eastern European countries I had to join the long list of truckers getting their loads across, a long winded and often ‘pungent’ process, sausage being the one of the stable diets of such professionals).
I was elated when I came across two, what appeared to be GSG9 officers (armed, green jump suits) on the approach
(Grenzschutzgruppe 9 are the special forces chaps created after the debacle of the 1972 Munich Olympic Israeli horror and were under the auspices of the overall German border guards group. However, I would guess that occasionally these guys pull normal border control functions to keep their feet on the ground.)
At the bridge, the officers must have been surprised at a chap coming toward them, at 06:00 ish in a yellow Australian rugby shirt. “Is there a customs office nearby” I said, “yes- Its over there” they said. Bingo!
In I went chuffed that I had managed to circumvent the major Autobahn border crossing and asked if they would be so kind as to process my ATA Carnet.
I got some garbled reply through a perforated Perspex barrier. Jeez, thought, not here as well, seems they clone these awkward bastards somewhere in a factory, now I’m getting grief from the North Germans. I had, had enough. I suspect the customs officer saw the consternation (or perhaps seeing seconds from an angry confrontation) on my face as he came around the counter to explain once more. There was a major customs crossing point on the Autobahn a few kilometres from here. I saw that he had a hair lip and that he was not an awkward bastard….I apologised for my ungracious thoughts…be careful out there.
I duly arrived at the German side, got a compliment for the correct filling out of the export papers for my kit (unchecked I might add. This happened often), got the correct stamps, all done in 5 mins.
Yahoo, in like Flynn, off to Warsaw. I thanked myself for my prescience for seeing the customs people in Munich and asking just what was required for such documents some weeks prior.
On the Polish Side of the Border
On the Polish side of the border, I sat for three hours outside the Polish customs office, in 3’ C, while they had a shift change, a coffee and smoke break. At this point, I’ d had enough. I approached and ‘suggested’ that I did not need to pay the full price of the kit ($ 130k) or that I had to go to Warsaw (which kind of negated having customs people on the border) and that all they needed to do (after a charades exercise of me taking the kit in and then bringing it out again, I don’t speak Polish and they certainly were not going to admit they spoke English) was to sign here and here and stamp here. Anyway, three hours later I was on my way.
Buoyed with this success, getting back through to Germany was a 15 minutes shoe in.
So here are my 10 cents worth
Know the Rules
Let’s start with the core of what you need in hand to make life at the border or first port of entry better.
“Carnet Definition. A Carnet or ATA Carnet (pronounced kar-nay) is an international customs and temporary export-import document. It is used to clear customs in 87 countries and territories without paying duties and import taxes on merchandise that will be re-exported within 12 months*. Carnets are also known as Merchandise Passports or Passports for Goods.”
Put simply it proves that the kit belongs to you, is registered in your country, has been exported from your country, A and imported to country B, within the Carnet list, has been used (trade shows etc.) then exported from country B and imported back to country A.
N.B. This only applies to non-dual use (military as well as civilian applications) kit.
Where do we start?
As ASOs, you probably are used to checklist. So, here is my recommend steps to navigate the ATA Carnet process:
- Your local chamber of commerce is the originator of this raft of papers/document. Depending upon frequency of travel you can ask for more export/import/travel signature sheets.
- It was confusing to me at first and unless you are a whizz at such things you may also find it confusing. Take your time.
- Take the approach, after these tips, of not second guessing what the document requires, but the approach of knowing what they need and filling where appropriate.
- Decide what kit you are traveling with.
- From this create a list of items with an item-to-item description and serial number, failing that (which would these days seem unlikely) distinguishing marks and enter on the description list page. This list is definitive, it cannot be changed after it has been signed off at the local customs office, if you need to add or subtract items this will require starting the process from scratch.
Note
In my on the road travelling experience they rarely check the item list completely with the actual kit but if they do and something is missing….not worth it. It is better to take it and not need it than not.
- Locate your nearest Customs office, make an appointment or at least let them know you are inbound (no-one likes surprises and if you get someone covering for the in-house expert they are going to get flustered) take ATA Carnet and the kit and present it to the customs people.
- They will comprehensively check the written list with the actual kit, piece by piece, serial number by serial number and then sign the Carnet as being accurate and viable.
Travelling
Road
Find the customs office on the border and present the Carnet. It is not expected that you bring the kit into the office but if the boys need a smoke break they will ask to come to the car and check.
Rail
Find the customs office in your departure and arrival stations. Same as above
Flying
Before checking your kit in, find the customs office and present the kit and documentation, once signed off (as exported) check it in. And do check it in because you will need other signatures to avoid end of year chamber of commerce hassle and fines.
Checklist Review
- Obtain ATA Carnet from the relevant chamber of commerce office
- Decide which kit you wish to travel with
- List out serial number and description and enter on the relevant Carnet page
- Go to Customs office and have them sign off (they will check) on the list against the kit
- When travelling and before departure get the customs to sign off that you are temporarily exporting said kit
- When arriving at destination go to customs and have them sign off that you are temporarily importing said kit
- When leaving go to customs and have them sign off that you are exporting said kit
- On arrival home go to customs and have them sign off you your re-importing said kit
- Under these ‘rules’ and when you return (nominally 12 months) the ATA Carnet to the Chamber of commerce they will need to see 4 signed and stamped chits of paper per trip.
- Export from country A,
- Import to country B
- Export from country B
- Re-import to country A
In my experience those that deal with these regularly think it’s a piece of case, and it is, but those who do not have the devil’s own time and may fall victim to being looked down upon and messed with.
My Two Last Anecdotes
I once spent 40 mins with a NZ customs officer explaining what he needed to do, he had never officially completed one. Also, I went thought Sydney customs faster than my Aussie colleagues.
Lesson
Learn this stuff before you go, and you will get smiley faces from the customs folks and life will be easier for you.
About the ASOG Author - Gareth Davies
Gareth brings over 30 years of experience in space and aerospace government and business operations. His skills and expertise span commanding satellites, marketing airborne systems (datalinks, sensors & simulators), and leading industry non-profit trade organizations.
Most recently, he is the founder and CEO of G2Consulting, focusing on consultancy and marketing services in the field of EO/IR operations.
Before becoming a senior consultant, Gareth was the Chairman of the Police Aviation Conference (PAvCon) and consulted for numerous leading aerospace firms like L-3 Wescam, AGS, and BMS regarding product management of overt and covert sensors, simulators and datalinks for civil, police and defense customers.
Other noteworthy professional experiences include Space Operations Manager for the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) and the German Space Operations Centre (DLR). Some of Gareth’s significant accomplishments as a Space Operations Manager include standup of the initial INMARSAT communication system, led the recruitment and training of the ROSAT satellite pre and post-launch team, and successfully commanded 17 launch and orbital missions. According to Gareth, he was one of the youngest members to join the European satellite program. He worked his way through all operational aspects of mission ops in the ESOC, offline systems at 22, Main Control Room and Satellite Control at 26, and then onto satellites at 30 finishing as an ops manager at the DLR.
