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For the last 30+ years, I've had some Japanese people who come over sporadically to compete in stage rallies here. They always ship their Minis from Japan, and we've always brought them in on a temporary import arrangement which allows for them to remain here for upto six months. In fact, until around 10 or 12 years ago, the process was so simple that I didn't even bother involving a customs clearance agent - I just used to get the forms cleared & stamped at the customs office at the port and that was it, free to go! Then there seemed to be a change of attitude, and it became clear that they only wanted 'officials' involved in the process so we had to start using an agent.
Not once in all those years have we used, or felt the need, to do it via a carnet. But it's only just occurred to me that, now we're no longer part of the EC, it's probably exactly the same rules to move cars between here and mainland Europe as it is to move them between here & Japan. And if that's true, then it would seem to suggest that a carnet is definitely not required.
I guess the biggest difference is in the way the cars arrive & leave. The cars from Japan arrive in containers at ports used to dealing with containerised goods, and perhaps the customs guys at these places are clued up on exactly what's required, document-wise. Whereas the cars traversing between here & Europe are generally on trailers being driven on & off ferries, and the officials at those places have only had to start dealing with this stuff a couple of years ago since Brexit? Could it just be that they haven't got to grips fully with the rules yet?
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