Customs Convention on the temporary importation of private road vehicles

Parties with reservations, declarations and objections

Party	Reservations / Declarations	Objections
Algeria	Yes	No
Belgium	Yes	No
Cuba	Yes	No
El Salvador	Yes	No
EU (European Union)	Yes	No
Guatemala	Yes	No
Hungary	Yes	No
India	Yes	No
Israel	Yes	No
Mexico	Yes	No
New Zealand	Yes	No
Romania	Yes	Yes
Russian Federation	Yes	Yes
Rwanda	Yes	No
Senegal	Yes	No
Sri Lanka	Yes	No
Switzerland	Yes	No
Tunisia	Yes	No

Algeria

31-10-1963

The Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria does not consider itself bound by article 40 of the said Convention and declares that a dispute may be submitted to arbitration only with the agreement of all the parties.

Belgium

21-02-1955

With regard to the application to the Territory of the Belgian Congo and to the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi of the Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Private Road Vehicles, concluded at New York on 4 June 1954, the Belgian Government considers that in present circumstances the system of free international circulation of motor vehicles should not be extended to legal persons. Temporary admittance without payment should not be granted in respect of component parts imported for the repair of a vehicle covered by free circulation papers.
The latter restriction does not, of course, apply to component parts accompanying vehicles when they are listed in the counterfoil of the international circulation document.

Cuba

20-11-1963

The Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Cuba does not consider itself bound by the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 40 of the Convention. At the same time it states that, if this reservation is rejected by more than two-thirds of the Parties to the Convention, it will consider that the Convention has not been ratified by the Revolutionary Government of Cuba, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of article 39.

El Salvador

18-06-1958

In connexion with article 4, El Salvador reserves its rights with respect to the temporary importation of component parts for the repair of motor vehicles in view of the fact that such component parts may be difficult to identify when taken out of the country; it therefore considers that payment of the taxes prescribed by the law should be made in such cases. The same reservation is made in connexion with other articles of the Convention which refer to component parts for repairs.

EU (European Union)

01-02-1996

The instrument contained a notification by which the European Community accepts the resolution of the United Nations of 2 July 1993 on the applicability of carnets de passage en douane and CPD carnets to private road vehicles.

Guatemala

04-06-1954

The Guatemalan Government reserves its right:
(1) To consider that the provisions of the Convention shall apply solely to natural persons and not to legal persons and bodies corporate as provided in chapter I, article 1;
(2) To consider that article 4 shall not be applicable to Guatemala;
(3) Not to accept the provisions of article 38 in respect of territories in dispute which are under the de facto administration of another State.

Hungary

04-05-1983

Article 38 of the Convention is at variance with the United Nations General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 16 December 1960 on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
The Hungarian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions contained in paragraph 2 of article 40 of the Convention.

India

05-05-1958

The Government of India reserves the right to exclude 'legal' persons from the categories of persons to whom concessions envisaged in this Convention are applicable.
Notwithstanding the provisions of article 2 of this Convention, the Government of India reserves the right to exclude from the benefits of this article persons normally resident outside India who, on the occasion of a temporary visit to India, take up paid employment or any other form of gainful occupation.

Israel

01-08-1957

Article 4, paragraph 1
The Government of Israel shall not be bound to admit without payment of import duties and import taxes the importation of component parts of the repair of vehicles temporarily imported; likewise, import prohibitions and restrictions in force at the time being in Israel may be applied to the importation of such component parts.
Article 24, paragraphs 1 and 2
In view of the fact that land frontiers with neighbouring States are closed at the present time and that, consequently, private road vehicles may not be re-exported except through an Israel port, the Government of Israel shall not be bound to accept as evidence of re-exportation of vehicles or component parts thereof, any of the documents referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of article 24.

Mexico

13-06-1957

The Delegation of Mexico, in accordance with the declaration duly made when the matter was under discussion in Working Party I, reserves its rights with regard to article 4, which authorizes the temporary importation of component parts for the repair of motor vehicles. The Delegation cannot agree to this article because the procedure in question is contrary to the legislation of its country, and because such spare parts do not usually have the specifications which would permit of their identification on exit. In the Delegation's opinion, this procedure would be prejudicial to the country's fiscal interests, because in this way it would be possible to import new spare parts without payment of duty by re-exporting old parts belonging to a vehicle not the tourist's own. It has therefore been considered more appropriate that in such cases the proper duty should be paid.
The same reservation is made with regard to other articles of this Convention which refer to component parts for making repairs.

New Zealand

17-08-1962

[...] consistent with the constitutional status of Tokelau and taking into account the commitment of the Government of New Zealand to the development of self-government for Tokelau through an act of self-determination under the Charter of the United Nations, [the] accession [to this Convention] shall not extend to Tokelau unless and until a Declaration to this effect is lodged by the Government of New Zealand with the depository on the basis of appropriate consultation with that territory [...]

Romania

26-01-1961

The Romanian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 40, paragraphs 2 and 3, of the Convention. The position of the Romanian People's Republic is that a dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention may be submitted to arbitration only with the agreement of all the parties in dispute and that only persons nominated by unanimous agreement of the parties in dispute may act as arbitrators.

Objection Switzerland, 06-07-1961

The Government of Switzerland has notified the Secretary-General that it objects to this reservation.

Objection United States of America, 06-07-1961

The Government of the United States of America has notified the Secretary-General that it has no objection to this reservation, but "considers that it may and hereby states that it will apply this reservation reciprocally with respect to Romania.”.

Russian Federation

17-08-1959

The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, considering that disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Private Road Vehicles can be decided by arbitration, declares that a dispute may be submitted to arbitration only with the agreement of all the parties in dispute and that only persons nominated by unanimous agreement of the parties in dispute may act as arbitrators.

Objection Italy, 11-03-1960

The Government of Italy notified the Secretary-General that it objects to this reservation.

Objection Switzerland, 11-03-1960

The Government of Switzerland notified the Secretary-General that it objects to this reservation.

Objection United States of America, 11-03-1960

The Government of the United States of America has notified the Secretary-General that it has no objection to this reservation, but "considers that it may, and hereby states that it will, apply the aforesaid reservation reciprocally with respect to the Soviet Union".

Rwanda

10-02-1965

The Government of Rwanda, in relation to the succession, informed the Secretary-General that it did not intend to maintain any of the [...] reservations made by Belgium,

Senegal

19-04-1972

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of article 2 of the said Convention, the Government of the Republic of Senegal reserves to itself the right to exclude from the benefits of the said article persons normally resident outside Senegal who, on the occasion of a temporary visit to Senegal, take up paid employment or any form of gainful occupation;
2. The Government of the Republic of Senegal reserves the right:
a) To consider that the provisions of the Convention shall apply solely to natural persons and not to legal persons and bodies corporate as provided in chapter 1, article 1;
b) To consider that article 4 shall not be applicable to its territory;
c) Not to accept the provisions of article 38 in respect of territories in dispute which are under the de facto administration of another State.

Sri Lanka

28-11-1955

Notwithstanding the provisions of article 2 of this Convention, the Government of Ceylon reserves to itself the right to exclude from the benefits of this article persons normally resident outside Ceylon who, on the occasion of a temporary visit to Ceylon, take up paid employment or any other form of gainful occupation.

Switzerland

16-06-1975

The Government of Switzerland declared that the provisions of the Convention apply to the Principality of Liechtenstein so long as it is linked to Switzerland by a customs union treaty.

Tunisia

20-06-1974

A dispute may be submitted to arbitration only with the agreement of all the parties in dispute.