BUSINESS ABROAD

CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN AND STAMPS
ON DOCUMENTS FOR BUSINESS ABROAD
SOURCES OF THE LAW
- Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2913/92, 12th October 1992, establishing the Customs Code. Non-preferential origin of products – art. No. 23 –24.

- Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 2454/93, 2nd July 1993, about Code's implementing provisions. Non-preferential origin of products, art. No. 35-54.

- European Council and Parliament Regulation No. 450/2008, 23rd April 2008, laying down the Community Customs Code (Modernised Customs Code), entered into force on the 24th June 2008. Non-preferential origin of products, art. No. 36.

REQUEST FOR FORMS
It is necessary to submit an application on headed paper, signed by the owner of a firm or by its legal representative. If in the province only a local unit exists, applicants must sign a declaration of commitment to request certifications to our Chamber only.
Forms are issued for free.
If errors occur while filling in the form, it has to be given back to the Chamber, with a request of cancellation for mistaken compilation.
In case of loss or destruction by accident of the form, applicants must report it to the Chamber, that will see to the cancellation of the serial number.

LOSS OF ISSUED CERTIFICATES
In case of loss of an issued certificate, a duplicate can be requested, on condition that the applicant provides a copy of the report of loss submitted to the competent Authority.
In this case, the applicant will then use a new form on which the office will affix the word “DUPLICATO” and the certificate number previously issued.
Moreover, the applicant must declare, on the back of the application form, that the previous certificate has been lost and that he commits himself to bear the eventual consequences that may derive from a third party using the lost certificate.
In any case, the duplicate has to be required within 6 months since the issue of lost certificate. 


DOING BUSINESS ABROAD


DOCUMENTS FOR EXPORT
CARNET A.T.A.
Sources of the law
D.P.R. n. 2070 18th March 1963

Carnet A.T.A. (Admission Temporaire - Temporary Admission) is a customs document for temporary export issued by the Chambers of Commerce, by proxy of the Italian Union of the Chambers of Commerce.
Requests for Carnet A.T.A. have to be made to the Chamber of Commerce in the jurisdiction under the competence of which:
• the firm has its head office or a local unit (regularly registered in the Business Register)
• the private citizen has his own residence;
• the professional usually practises his profession.

This document is valid for 12 months and it allows the temporary export of goods from Italy to the countries agreeing to the A.T.A. Convention.
This document avoids paying a deposit every time goods get in a country adhering to the A.T.A. Convention.

Adhering Countries are: Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium and Luxemburg, Bielorussia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Mauritius Islands, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Morocco, Moldavia, Mongolia, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, United States of America, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary.

Carnets can be issued for the following product categories:
• goods to be presented or used on occasion of a fair, congress or similar events
• professional material
• pedagogical material
• scientific material
• representative samples of a definite product category to be presented, in order to receive order of similar products
• movies to be pre-viewed before their commercial use
• horses for horse tourism

Issue of the A.T.A. Carnet depends on the presentation of an insurance policy by the applicant.
“Assitalia – Le Assicurazioni d’Italia Spa” proved to be the highest bidder at the private tendering for Carnet A.T.A. policies.
To apply for a policy, the firm has to present to Agenzia Generale Assitalia a special application form, given by and previously certified by the Chamber of Commerce.


THE MECHANOGRAPHIC NUMBER

Sources of the Law
Ministerial Memorandum n.3255/c, 20th September 1991
Ministerial Memorandum n.3576/c, 6th May 2004

What is the mechanographic number?
The mechanographic number is an eight-character alphanumeric code assigned to firms doing business with foreign countries regularly. The firm must:
• be regularly enrolled in the Business Register,
• have reported the beginning of the business,
• be up-to-date with payments of annual fee,
• prove to have done at least one operation per year, worthing more than €12.500,00.

The mechanographic number is assigned by the Chamber of Commerce having the territorial jurisdiction as regards the company’s registered office, upon presentation of a questionnaire filled up and signed by a legal representative. In the questionnaire, applicants are requested to give a first compulsory consent for code request and a second optional consent that allows entering data in the database ITALIANCOM, managed by the Chamber of Commerce itself.

ITALIANCOM, that replaced the SDOE system, is a database of all provincial firms doing business with foreign countries. It fosters internationalization by issuing lists to both Italian and foreign traders interested in it. ITALIANCOM can also inform firms of any promotional initiative concerning their line of business, as well as about training courses and workshops.

Documents to submit
Questionnaire duly filled up and signed
Copy of identification document
Copy of import or export invoice over € 12.500

Costs and time
Ministerial Memorandum n.3576/c 6th May 2004.
Administrative Fees: €3,00 to pay directly to Internationalization Office of the Chamber of Commerce.
Generally, the Chamber of Commerce issues the mechanographic number during the day, after verifing that the submitted questionnaire has been filled up correctly.