Free ATA Carnet List Tool

When applying for an ATA Carnet, the document that matters most is the General List—a line-by-line inventory of everything you plan to temporarily import or export. A customs officer checks your actual goods against this list, item by item, so it has to be accurate, complete, and laid out the same way on every row.

Build it as a spreadsheet with one row per item and these seven columns, in this order:

What belongs in each column:

• Full Item Description — brand, model, and what the item actually is. Be specific: "Sony FX6 Cinema Camera Body" or "Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens", never "electronics" or "equipment".
• Serial # / Part # — the serial number, part number, or other permanent marking that identifies the exact unit. Leave it blank if the item carries none. The free tool copies across any serial your own list supplies and leaves the rest blank — a serial is read off the equipment in front of you, never looked up, because the wrong one on a customs document is worse than an empty cell.
• Quantity — how many identical units that row covers, as a whole number. Items that differ in any way (different serials aside) belong on their own rows.
• Weight (lbs) — the weight of a single unit, in pounds.
• Country of Manufacture — where the item was made, not where you bought it and not where you are shipping from. Every row needs one. The two-letter country code (JP, US, DE) is what the tool produces, but the full country name works just as well.
• Value per Item (USD) — fair market or replacement value of a single unit, in US dollars (Canadian carnets are listed in CAD). Use one currency for the whole sheet.
• Total Value — quantity × value per item. The sum of this column is the total value of your carnet.

Group items logically—all camera bodies together, followed by lenses, then accessories, then the cases they travel in. Cases and containers are goods too: give each one its own row with its own value.

The total value on your carnet determines the bond amount required, so accurate valuations are essential. Use fair market value or replacement cost—not what you paid years ago, and not an inflated figure.

Once your list is complete, double-check that the Total Value column adds up to your list total and that every item you're bringing is on it—customs officers verify your carnet against your actual goods, and discrepancies can lead to fines or seizure of items not properly documented.