Digital Carnet Reform FTA/APSA Submission on eATA Implementation

Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) have lodged a formal submission to the Australian Border Force (ABF) in response to the Digital Carnet Reform consultation paper.

The submission was informed by detailed engagement with members across the freight forwarding, customs brokerage, exhibition and event logistics, and major shipper sectors — including high-volume carnet users operating in time-critical international supply chains.

Key Themes Raised in the Submission

FTA/APSA strongly support the transition to electronic ATA (eATA) carnets, recognising the global shift toward digitisation and the need for Australia to remain aligned with international customs practice.

However, the submission emphasises that reform must deliver genuine operational improvement. Key positions included:

• No duplication of process – eATA carnets must operate as the single controlling instrument for temporary import and export, without additional section 162AA applications or parallel documentation.
• ABF–DAFF alignment is critical – digitisation must be end-to-end. There is limited benefit if ABF accepts QR-based eCarnets while DAFF processing remains manual or paper-based.
• Clear treatment of EXTI reporting and acquittal – appropriate system visibility and audit integrity must be preserved without reintroducing unnecessary red tape.
• Re-import safeguards – mechanisms must identify circumstances where duty, GST, or concession treatment may be impacted (e.g. altered or upgraded goods).
• National consistency and transitional clarity – both paper and digital carnets will likely operate in parallel during implementation, requiring clear operational guidance across all ports.

FTA/APSA also highlighted the importance of avoiding unintended compliance creep, including new licence conditions or reporting burdens arising as a by-product of digitisation.

The submission supports the policy direction of reform and offers practical recommendations to ensure implementation reflects real-world supply chain operations.