EXPORTING is to be made more accessible for businesses in York as overseas trade specialist Chamber International opens an office in the city and launches a new initiative to aid travel.

Chamber International has launched its York office at York Science Park partly because of its involvement with Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership’s We Are International programme, which aims to drive up exports from the ten local authority areas within the region, including York.

Sharing an office with York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Chamber International assists with a range of specialist international trade expertise from back-office administration services to fast-track business support overseas and help with issues such as product conformity for markets around the world.

Chamber International director, Tim Bailey said: “The We are International initiative has attracted significant interest in York where there is an entrepreneurial culture and many businesses with the potential and appetite for exporting.”

To coincide with the opening of its York office, Chamber International has launched an initiative enabling exporters to apply for ATA Carnets online in a bid to save time for businesses which exhibit at overseas trade shows, travel abroad with product samples or ship professional tools and equipment to carry out work overseas.

ATA Carnets, which translates to “book of temporary admission tickets”, can be used for temporary exports, where goods are not to be sold, to fast-track customs in more than 80 countries belonging to the Carnet scheme without the need to pay duty and/or local tax on their arrival.

Once issued, Carnets can be used for multiple international trips and are valid for a year. Countries, and territories, which accept them are in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Alison Holmes, head of the Carnet team at Chamber International, said: “The new online service revolutionises the application process at a time when more countries are joining the international Carnet scheme and more businesses in places such as York and North Yorkshire are looking to trade overseas.”

One regular user of the Chamber International ATA Carnet system, which sees huge benefits in the system moving online, is award-winning national opera company, Leeds-based Opera North. Opera North technical and operations director, Ric Green, said: “We do co-productions or rentals with opera companies in Europe, Australasia and the USA. Sometimes they are overseas for quite short periods but they can stay for two years.”