Federal Register, Volume 61 Issue 61 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13765-13775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7435]

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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 20

Implementation of International Package Consignment Service

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is an
international mail service designed for companies sending merchandise
to other countries. The service was previously available only to Japan.
Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K.) are now being added as additional
destination countries. The countries that are included in the United
Kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man,
and Channel Islands. To use IPCS, a customer is required to mail at
least 25,000 packages a year to Canada, or at least 10,000 packages a
year to the U.K., and agree to link its information systems with the
Postal Service's so that the Postal Service can extract certain
information about the contents of the customer's packages for customs
clearance and other purposes. Initially, two levels of service to
Canada and three levels of service to the U.K. will be offered to
customers. Interim regulations have been developed and are set forth
below for comment and suggested revision prior to adoption in final
form.

DATES: The interim regulations take effect March 28, 1996. Comments
must be received on or before May 31, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to
International Package Consignment Service, U.S. Postal Service, 475
L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room EB4400, Washington, DC 20260-6500. Copies of
all written comments will be available for public inspection and
photocopying at the above address between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, after May 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Opiela (Canada) at the above address. Telephone: (202) 268-3860.
Tim Gribben (United Kingdom) at the above address. Telephone: (202)
268-3035.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

One of the most important goals of the Postal Service's
international mission is the development of services that enhance the
ability of U.S. companies to do business in other countries. This
responsibility was delineated in 39 U.S.C. 403(b)(2) which makes it the

[[Page 13766]]
obligation of the Postal Service ``to provide types of mail service to
meet the needs of different categories of mail and mail users.'' IPCS
is designed to more closely meet the needs of customers who send
merchandise packages from the United States to multiple international
addressees by simplifying the process companies use to prepare their
packages for mailing and by reducing the costs those companies incur in
mailing merchandise to other countries.
IPCS benefits all users of the Postal Service because revenues
collected contribute to fixed costs, thereby decreasing the total
revenue that the Postal Service needs to recover from other services.
At the same time, IPCS makes it easier and more economical for
customers in the United States to export their products to
international markets.
In late 1994, implementation of IPCS to Japan (59 FR 65961 December
22, 1994), the Postal Service announced that, when feasible, it would
expand the service to other destination countries based on customer
requests. The Postal Service hereby expands IPCS by adding Canada and
the United Kingdom as destination countries for qualifying customers.

II. IPCS to Canada and the United Kingdom

A. Qualifying Criteria

A customer who wants to use IPCS to Canada or to the U.K. will be
required to enter into a service agreement with the Postal Service
providing for the following. First, the customer must commit to mail at
least 25,000 packages a year to Canada, or 10,000 packages a year to
the U.K. Second, the customer must designate the Postal Service as its
carrier of choice to Canada or the U.K. Third, the customer must agree
to link its information systems with the Postal Service's so that the
Postal Service and the customer can exchange data transmissions
concerning the customer's packages, and the Postal Service can extract,
on an as-needed basis, certain information about the package by
scanning the customer-provided barcode on each package.
In general, the information that must be made available to the
Postal Service includes: the order number; the package identification
number; the buyer's name and address; the recipient's name and address;
the total weight of the package; the total value of the package
contents; the number of items in the package; and, for each item in the
package, its SKU number, its value, and its country of origin. In
practice, this requirement means that the customer will have to begin
the necessary systems work by the time it begins using IPCS, and then
will have to assist the Postal Service in completing and maintaining
the information systems linkages. The Postal Service will use the
extracted information to prepare the necessary customs forms and
package labels, to accept the customer's mail and verify postage
payment automatically, and to provide user-friendly tracking and
tracing.
In addition to these required commitments, which must appear in all
IPCS service agreements, arrangements between the Postal Service and
the customer that are technical in nature also may appear in the IPCS
service agreement. For instance, the service agreement may describe the
electronic data interface (EDI) or proprietary file format that will be
used to transmit data between the customer and the Postal Service, as
well as the frequency and schedule of transmissions. Similarly, the
service agreement may describe the formats and frequencies for any
exception and performance reports that the Postal Service will provide
to the customer.

B. Processing and Acceptance

Because of efficiencies created by the Postal Service's ability to
process all IPCS mail to Canada or the U.K. at a facility designed for
that purpose, as well as general operational and managerial
considerations, the Postal Service has determined that, in general, all
IPCS mail to Canada or the U.K. should be processed at, and dispatched
from, a dedicated IPCS facility.
If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is
located within 500 miles of an IPCS Processing Facility, the Postal
Service will verify and accept the packages at the customer's plant and
transport them to the processing facility according to a schedule
agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer.
If the customer's plant is located more than 500 miles from the
processing facility, two options are available. In Option One, the
customer must present the packages to the Postal Service for
verification at the customer's plant and transport them as a drop
shipment to an IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed
upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Option Two allows
customers to avoid transporting the packages to an IPCS Processing
Facility by performing some of the package processing that the Postal
Service would otherwise perform. With this option, the Postal Service
will provide one or more specially-designed computer workstations to be
installed at the customer's plant. The computer workstation(s) and
USPS-developed software will be integrated with the customer's order
processing data system and will be operated by the customer's
employees. As individual orders are processed for shipment, this
workstation will prepare and generate all required customs declarations
and international mail dispatch tags and forms. Since the
workstation(s) is (are) integrated into the process, and may even
replace other customer functions, no increase is anticipated in order
processing and mail preparation time. When the mail is ready for
dispatch, it will be verified and accepted on site by USPS personnel
and transported by the Postal Service to a designated Air Exchange
Office or directly to an entry point for forwarding and delivery
according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the
customer. Under Option Two, the customer saves the cost of transporting
the packages to an IPCS Processing Facility, and the Postal Service
saves the cost of processing and sorting individual packages.

C. Customs Forms

Normally, all necessary Canadian and U.K. customs forms will be
automatically generated by the Postal Service computer workstations.
Packages mailed to Canada or the U.K. through an IPCS facility will not
be required to bear customs forms when they are tendered to the Postal
Service. The Postal Service will verify, accept, and transport these
packages to a designated IPCS processing facility. After scanning the
customer-printed barcode on each package and correlating it with the
package-specific information transmitted by the customer, the Postal
Service will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to
the customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS
Processing Facility. However, during the interim period in which the
Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the
information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish
this, customers may be required to prepare the necessary customs forms
on their own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering them
to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer workstations
are located at the customer's plant and operated by customer employees,
the USPS computer workstations will print the customs forms, and the
customer will be required to affix these forms to the appropriate
packages as instructed by

[[Page 13767]]
the Postal Service prior to verification and acceptance of the mail.

D. Customs Clearance

The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System
(CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects
package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are
processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an
IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically
advises the USPS delivery agent and customs of the contents of each
package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before the
mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic
pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of
required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through
Canadian or U.K. customs and reduces costs for the customer and the
Postal Service. To use CPAS, recipients of merchandise must designate
the Postal Service and its customs broker as their agents for customs
clearance.

E. Delivery Options

(1) Canada
The Postal Service will initially offer two delivery options to
Canada. The two options initially available will be Air Courier Service
and Ground Courier Service. The weight limit for packages under both
options will be 66 pounds, and both options will provide tracking and
tracing.
Air Courier Service will be the fastest option. The Postal Service
will transport Air Courier Service packages from the customer's plant
or from the designated IPCS processing facility to Canada overnight
where they will receive expeditious customs clearance and be released
to the delivery agent. From there, the packages will receive courier
service throughout Canada and be delivered to major population centers
overnight. Normal delivery times will be two to three days from
dispatch from the customer's plant to final delivery. Insurance up to
$500 is included at no additional cost.
Ground Courier Service will offer overnight transportation to
Canada and ground transportation to final destination in Canada. Ground
Courier Service will receive the same expeditious customs clearance as
Air Courier Service and normal delivery times for 95 percent of all
Canadian addresses will be three to six days after dispatch from the
customer's plant, depending on the location of final destination. (For
addresses in the Maritimes and extreme northern territories where
distance and poor roads affect transportation, delivery times could be
as long as eight days.) Insurance will be available at an additional
cost.
The Postal Service intends to develop and test a third delivery
option for possible implementation at a later date. This third option,
if successfully tested and implemented, will offer reduced rates,
without tracking and tracing, but with proof of delivery provided. The
Postal Service requests comments from customers regarding the need for
the third option.
(2) United Kingdom
The Postal Service will offer three levels of service to the U.K.
Premium, Standard, and Economy. The weight limit for all three delivery
options is 66 pounds, the maximum length is 60 inches, and the maximum
length and girth combined is 108 inches.
Premium Service will be the fastest option and will provide
tracking and tracing and insurance up to $500 at no additional cost.
The Postal Service will transport Premium packages to the U.K. by air.
Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should
clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business on the
third working day.
Standard Service will be the next fastest delivery option and will
provide tracking and tracing and insurance up to $500 at no additional
cost. The Postal Service will transport Standard packages to the U.K.
by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it
should clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business
on the fourth working day.
Economy Service will be the slowest delivery option and will
provide tracking and tracing to the point of entry into the U.K's.
domestic mail stream. Insurance will be available at an additional
cost. The Postal Service will transport Economy packages to the U.K. by
air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it
should clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business
on the fifth or sixth working day.

F. Rates

(1) Canada
The base rates for the two delivery options currently available for
Canada are set forth below. These rates may be reduced by one or more
of the three annual discounts, depending on how many packages the
customer mails to Canada through IPCS in a twelve month period.
For each delivery option, the Postal Service will charge the base
rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by
the customer during a 12-month period. Once the customer has mailed
100,000 packages, postage for the customer's next 400,000 packages will
be discounted by 3 percent from the base rates. Packages mailed through
either of the two delivery options will count toward the customer
meeting the 100,000 package threshold.
Once the customer has mailed 500,000 packages during a 12-month
period, postage for the customer's next 500,000 packages will be
discounted at 4 percent from the prior tier discounted schedule.
Finally, a third level of Discount at 5 percent will apply for all
packages mailed in excess of 1 million during the 12-month period.
Again, packages mailed through either of the two delivery options will
count toward the customer's meeting the 500,000 and 1,000,000 package
thresholds.

International Package Consignment Service to Canada
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base rates < 100k Volume discounts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pounds 101k-500k 3.00% 501k-1m 4.00% >1m 5.00%
Air Ground -----------------------------------------------------------
Air Ground Air Ground Air Ground
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................. 10.15 8.55 9.85 8.29 9.45 7.96 8.98 7.56
2............................. 11.09 9.37 10.76 9.09 10.33 8.72 9.81 8.29
3............................. 12.74 10.92 12.36 10.60 11.86 10.17 11.27 9.66
4............................. 14.38 11.93 13.95 11.57 13.39 11.10 12.73 10.55
5............................. 16.03 12.95 15.55 12.56 14.93 12.06 14.18 11.46

[[Page 13768]]

6............................. 17.55 13.98 17.03 13.56 16.35 13.02 15.53 12.37
7............................. 19.19 14.93 18.61 14.48 17.87 13.90 16.98 13.20
8............................. 20.83 15.85 20.20 15.38 19.39 14.76 18.42 14.03
9............................. 22.46 16.80 21.79 16.29 20.92 15.64 19.87 14.86
10............................ 24.10 17.72 23.37 17.19 22.44 16.51 21.32 15.68
11............................ 25.55 18.55 24.78 17.99 23.79 17.27 22.60 16.41
12............................ 27.17 19.49 26.36 18.91 25.30 18.15 24.04 17.25
13............................ 28.81 20.45 27.95 19.84 26.83 19.05 25.49 18.09
14............................ 30.44 21.40 29.52 20.76 28.34 19.93 26.92 18.93
15............................ 32.06 22.36 31.10 21.69 29.85 20.82 28.36 19.78
16............................ 33.68 23.86 32.67 23.14 31.37 22.21 29.80 21.10
17............................ 35.32 24.84 34.26 24.09 32.89 23.13 31.25 21.97
18............................ 36.95 25.81 35.84 25.03 34.40 24.03 32.68 22.83
19............................ 38.57 26.99 37.41 26.18 35.92 25.14 34.12 23.88
20............................ 40.19 27.97 38.99 27.13 37.43 26.05 35.56 24.74
21............................ 41.53 28.74 40.29 27.88 38.68 26.76 36.74 25.43
22............................ 43.15 29.71 41.85 28.82 40.18 27.67 38.17 26.28
23............................ 44.76 30.69 43.42 29.77 41.68 28.58 39.59 27.15
24............................ 46.37 31.66 44.98 30.71 43.18 29.48 41.02 28.01
25............................ 48.00 32.65 46.56 31.67 44.69 30.40 42.46 28.88
26............................ 49.61 33.61 48.12 32.61 46.20 31.30 43.89 29.74
27............................ 50.85 34.60 49.32 33.56 47.35 32.22 44.98 30.61
28............................ 52.83 35.57 51.25 34.50 49.20 33.12 46.74 31.46
29............................ 54.46 36.55 52.83 35.45 50.71 34.03 48.18 32.33
30............................ 56.07 37.52 54.39 36.39 52.21 34.94 49.60 33.19
31............................ 57.27 38.21 55.55 37.06 53.33 35.58 50.66 33.80
32............................ 58.87 39.17 57.10 37.99 54.82 36.47 52.08 34.65
33............................ 60.49 40.14 58.67 38.94 56.32 37.38 53.51 35.51
34............................ 62.09 41.11 60.22 39.87 57.81 38.28 54.92 36.36
35............................ 63.69 42.08 61.78 40.82 59.31 39.19 56.34 37.23
36............................ 65.29 43.04 63.33 41.75 60.80 40.08 57.76 38.08
37............................ 66.90 44.02 64.90 42.70 62.30 40.99 59.18 38.94
38............................ 68.50 45.33 66.45 43.97 63.79 42.21 60.60 40.10
39............................ 70.10 46.49 68.00 45.09 65.28 43.29 62.02 41.12
40............................ 71.70 47.64 69.55 46.21 66.77 44.36 63.43 42.14
41............................ 72.79 48.26 70.60 46.81 67.78 44.94 64.39 42.69
42............................ 74.38 49.23 72.15 47.75 69.26 45.84 65.80 43.55
43............................ 75.97 50.21 73.69 48.71 70.74 46.76 67.20 44.42
44............................ 77.56 51.57 75.23 50.03 72.22 48.02 68.61 45.62
45............................ 79.16 52.56 76.78 50.99 73.71 48.95 70.03 46.50
46............................ 80.16 53.13 77.75 51.54 74.64 49.48 70.91 47.00
47............................ 81.74 54.94 79.28 53.29 76.11 51.16 72.31 48.60
48............................ 83.31 56.77 80.81 55.06 77.58 52.86 73.70 50.22
49............................ 84.78 58.64 82.24 56.88 78.95 54.60 75.00 51.87
50............................ 86.48 60.96 83.89 59.13 80.53 56.76 76.51 53.92
51............................ 88.06 62.45 85.42 60.58 82.00 58.15 77.90 55.24
52............................ 89.65 63.97 86.96 62.05 83.48 59.57 79.31 56.59
53............................ 91.23 65.52 88.49 63.56 84.95 61.01 80.70 57.96
54............................ 92.82 67.08 90.04 65.06 86.43 62.46 82.11 59.34
55............................ 94.40 68.64 91.57 66.58 87.90 63.92 83.51 60.72
56............................ 95.28 69.28 92.42 67.20 88.73 64.51 84.29 61.29
57............................ 96.85 70.37 93.94 68.26 90.19 65.53 85.68 62.25
58............................ 98.43 71.48 95.48 69.34 91.66 66.56 87.07 63.24
59............................ 99.99 72.58 96.99 70.40 93.11 67.58 88.46 64.20
60............................ 101.57 74.18 98.53 71.96 94.59 69.08 89.86 65.62
61............................ 103.14 75.30 100.05 73.04 96.04 70.12 91.24 66.61
62............................ 104.72 76.40 101.58 74.11 97.51 71.14 92.64 67.59
63............................ 105.51 77.48 102.35 75.16 98.25 72.15 93.34 68.54
64............................ 107.07 78.55 103.85 76.19 99.70 73.15 94.71 69.49
65............................ 108.63 79.70 105.37 77.31 101.16 74.22 96.10 70.51
66............................ 110.19 80.85 106.88 78.42 102.61 75.29 97.48 71.52
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[[Page 13769]]

(2) United Kingdom
The base rates for the three delivery options for the U.K. are set
forth below. For each delivery option, the Postal Service will charge
the base rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages
mailed by the customer during a 12-month period. Once the customer has
mailed 100,000 packages, postage for the customer's next packages will
be reduced by 2.0% from the base rates. Packages mailed through any of
the three delivery options will count toward the customer's meeting the
100,000-package threshold.

International Package Consignment Service to United Kingdom
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Base rates For volumes > 100,000
Pounds to: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Premium Standard Economy Premium Standard Economy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...................................... 13.87 11.17 9.95 13.59 10.95 9.75
2...................................... 15.21 12.46 11.19 14.90 12.21 10.97
3...................................... 16.54 13.75 12.43 16.21 13.47 12.18
4...................................... 17.88 15.04 13.67 17.52 14.73 13.39
5...................................... 19.21 16.32 14.91 18.83 16.00 14.61
6...................................... 20.55 17.61 16.15 20.14 17.26 15.82
7...................................... 21.88 18.90 17.39 21.44 18.52 17.04
8...................................... 23.71 20.18 18.63 23.24 19.78 18.25
9...................................... 25.08 21.47 19.87 24.58 21.04 19.47
10...................................... 26.63 22.76 21.11 26.09 22.30 20.68
11...................................... 28.00 24.05 22.35 27.44 23.57 21.90
12...................................... 29.37 25.33 23.59 28.79 24.83 23.11
13...................................... 30.96 26.62 24.82 30.34 26.09 24.33
14...................................... 32.34 27.91 26.06 31.70 27.35 25.54
15...................................... 33.96 29.20 27.30 33.28 28.61 27.76
16...................................... 35.35 30.48 28.54 34.64 29.87 27.97
17...................................... 36.99 31.77 29.78 36.25 31.13 29.19
18...................................... 38.66 33.06 31.02 37.88 32.40 30.40
19...................................... 40.61 34.35 32.26 39.80 33.66 63.62
20...................................... 42.04 35.63 33.50 41.20 34.92 32.83
21...................................... 43.47 36.92 34.74 42.60 36.18 34.05
22...................................... 44.90 38.21 35.98 44.00 37.44 35.26
23...................................... 46.33 39.49 37.22 45.40 38.70 36.48
24...................................... 47.76 40.78 38.46 46.81 39.97 37.69
25...................................... 49.19 42.07 39.70 48.21 41.23 38.91
26...................................... 50.62 43.36 40.94 49.61 42.49 40.12
27...................................... 53.44 44.64 42.18 52.37 43.75 41.34
28...................................... 54.91 45.93 43.42 53.81 45.01 42.55
29...................................... 56.38 47.22 44.66 55.25 46.27 43.77
30...................................... 57.85 48.51 45.90 56.69 47.54 44.98
31...................................... 59.31 49.79 47.14 58.13 48.80 46.20
32...................................... 60.78 51.08 48.38 59.57 50.06 47.41
33...................................... 62.25 52.37 49.62 61.01 51.32 48.63
34...................................... 63.72 53.65 50.86 62.45 52.58 49.84
35...................................... 65.19 54.94 52.10 63.88 53.84 51.06
36...................................... 66.66 56.23 53.34 65.32 55.10 52.27
37...................................... 68.13 57.52 54.58 66.76 56.37 53.48
38...................................... 69.59 58.80 55.82 68.20 57.63 54.70
39...................................... 72.45 60.09 57.06 71.00 58.89 55.91
40...................................... 73.94 61.38 58.30 72.46 60.15 57.13
41...................................... 75.44 62.67 59.54 73.93 61.41 58.34
42...................................... 76.94 63.95 60.77 75.40 62.67 59.56
43...................................... 78.44 65.24 62.01 76.87 63.94 60.77
44...................................... 79.93 66.53 63.25 78.33 65.20 61.99
45...................................... 81.43 67.82 64.49 79.80 66.46 63.20
46...................................... 82.93 69.10 65.73 81.27 67.72 64.42
47...................................... 84.42 70.39 66.97 82.74 68.98 65.63
48...................................... 85.92 71.68 68.21 84.20 70.24 66.85
49...................................... 87.42 72.96 69.45 85.67 71.51 68.06
50...................................... 88.91 74.25 70.69 87.14 72.77 69.28
51...................................... 90.41 75.54 71.93 88.60 74.03 70.49
52...................................... 91.91 76.83 73.17 90.07 75.29 71.71
53...................................... 93.41 78.11 74.41 91.54 76.55 72.92
54...................................... 94.90 79.40 75.65 93.01 77.81 74.14
55...................................... 96.40 80.69 76.89 94.47 79.07 75.35
56...................................... 97.90 81.98 78.13 95.94 80.34 76.57
57...................................... 99.39 83.26 79.37 97.41 81.60 77.78
58...................................... 100.89 84.55 80.61 98.87 82.86 79.00
59...................................... 102.39 85.84 81.85 100.34 84.12 80.21
60...................................... 103.89 87.13 83.09 101.81 85.38 81.43
61...................................... 105.38 88.41 84.33 103.28 86.64 82.64
62...................................... 106.88 89.70 85.57 104.74 87.91 83.86
63...................................... 108.38 90.99 86.81 106.21 89.17 85.07
64...................................... 109.87 92.27 88.05 107.68 90.43 86.29

[[Page 13770]]

65...................................... 111.37 93.56 89.29 109.14 91.69 87.50
66...................................... 112.87 94.85 90.53 110.61 92.95 88.72
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Conclusion

Accordingly, the Postal Service hereby adopts IPCS to Canada and
the United Kingdom, on an interim basis, at the rates set forth in the
schedules above. Although 39 U.S.C. 407 does not require advance notice
and opportunity for submission of comments, and the Postal Service is
exempted by 39 U.S.C. 410(a) from the advance notice requirements of
the Administrative Procedure Act regarding proposed rulemaking (5
U.S.C. 553), the Postal Service invites interested persons to submit
written data, views, or arguments concerning this interim rule.
The Postal Service adopts the following amendments to the
International Mail Manual, which is incorporated by reference in the
Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 20.1.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 20

International postal service, Foreign relations.

PART 20--[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 20 continues to read as
follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 401, 404, 407, 408.

2. Effective immediately, subchapter 620 of the International Mail
Manual, Issue 16, is amended as follows:
6 SPECIAL PROGRAMS
* * * * *

620 International Package Consignment Service

621 Description

621.1 General

International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is a bulk mailing
system that provides fast, economical international delivery of
packages containing merchandise. IPCS is designed to make it easier and
less costly for mail-order companies to export goods. The Postal
Service provides IPCS on a destination country-specific basis pursuant
to the terms and conditions stipulated in 620 and the Individual
Country Listings.
* * * * *

621.3 Availability

IPCS is available only to destination countries identified in 620
and the Individual Country Listings.

622 Qualifying Customers

To qualify, a customer must enter into a service agreement
containing the commitments stipulated in 625.2 and must be able to meet
the general and destination country-specific preparation requirements
stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings.

623 General

623.1 Special Services

The special services provided for in Chapter 3 are not available
for packages sent by IPCS unless specifically provided for in 620 or
the Individual Country Listings.

623.2 Customs Documentation

The requirements for customs forms vary by destination country as
stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings.

623.3 Size and Weight Limits

Size and weight limits for packages sent by IPCS vary by
destination country as stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country
Listings.

623.41 Rates

Rates vary by destination country as stipulated in 620 and the
Individual Country Listings.

623.42 Postage Payment Method

Postage must be paid by permit imprint or any other Postal Service
approved method.

624 Preparation Requirements

624.1 General Requirements

* * * * *

624.2 Destination Country-Specific Requirements

Certain preparation requirements vary by destination country as
stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings.

625 IPCS Service Agreements

* * * * *

625.2 Required Provisions

a. The customer's commitment to send at least 25,000 packages (or
10,000 to the United Kingdom) by IPCS during the next 12 months to the
specified destination country.
* * * * *

626 IPCS to Japan

* * * * *
Change 627 to 626.7 Customs Forms Required.
* * * * *
Change 628 to 626.8 Preparation Requirements.
* * * * *
Change 628.1 to 626.81 Express Service.
* * * * *
Change 628.11 to 626.811 Processing at JFK.
* * * * *
Change 628.12 to 626.812 Processing Mailer's Plant.
* * * * *
Change 628.2 to 626.82 Standard Air Service.
* * * * *
Change 628.3 to 626.83 Economy Air Service.
* * * * *
3. Effective immediately, chapter 6 of the International Mail
Manual, Issue 16, is amended by adding new section 627 as follows:
6 SPECIAL PROGRAMS
* * * * *

620 International Package Consignment Service

* * * * *

627 IPCS to Other Destination Countries

Information concerning IPCS for the following designated countries
is detailed in the Individual Country Listings (ICLs) section.
a. Canada.
b. Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
* * * * *
4. Effective immediately, the Individual Country Listing for Canada
in the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended by adding the
following information, concerning International

[[Page 13771]]

Package Consignment Service, to the end of the listing.
International Package Consignment Service (IPCS)
Description
IPCS to Canada provides the customer with two delivery options and
with preparation by the Postal Service of the customs forms and
delivery labels required by Canada.
Delivery Options
Air Courier Service
Air Courier Service is the fastest option. The Postal Service will
transport Air Courier Service packages from the customer's plant or
from the designated IPCS processing facility to Canada overnight where
they will receive expeditious customs clearance and be released to the
delivery agent. From there, the packages will receive courier service
throughout Canada and be delivered to major population centers
overnight. Normal delivery times will be two to three days from
dispatch to final delivery.
Ground Courier Service
Ground Courier Service will offer overnight transportation to
Canada and ground transportation to final destination in Canada. It
will receive the same expeditious customs clearance as Air Courier
Service and normal delivery times for 95 percent of all Canadian
addresses will be three to six days after dispatch from the customer's
plant, depending on the location of final destination. (For addresses
in the Maritimes and extreme northern territories where distance and
poor roads affect transportation, delivery times could be as long as
eight days.)
Processing and Acceptance
Within 500 Miles of an IPCS Processing Facility
If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is
located within 500 miles of an IPCS processing facility, the Postal
Service will verify and accept the packages at the customer's plant and
transport them to the IPCS processing facility according to a schedule
agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer.
More than 500 Miles from an IPCS Processing Facility
If the customer's plant from which the IPCS packages will originate
is located more than 500 miles from an IPCS processing facility, the
customer can choose one of two processing options.
Option One: The customer will be required to present the packages
to the Postal Service for verification at the customer's plant and
transport them as a drop shipment to an IPCS processing facility
according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the
customer.
Option Two: The customer will process the packages using Postal
Service-provided computer system workstations and sort and prepare the
packages as required by the Postal Service. Then, the Postal Service
verifies and accepts the packages at the customer's plant and
transports them by truck to the nearest air mail facility according to
a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. From the
air mail facility, the Postal Service dispatches the IPCS packages to
Canada, bypassing an IPCS processing facility.
Required Package Specific Information
Requirements are the same as those detailed in Section 626.3.
Insurance and Indemnity
Air Courier Service
Packages sent through Air Courier Service are insured against loss,
damage, or rifling at no additional cost. Indemnity will be paid by the
Postal Service as provided in DMM S500. However, packages are not
insured against delay in delivery. Neither indemnity payments nor
postage refunds will be made in event of delay.
Ground Courier Service
Packages sent through Economy Service may be insured at an
additional cost. See 320.
Postage
General
The base rates for the two currently available options are set
forth below. These rates may be reduced by one or more of the three
additive annual discounts depending on how many packages the customer
mails to Canada using either of the two IPCS delivery options in a
twelve month period.
Base Rates
The Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound
increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer
during a 12-month period.

Rate Reductions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of packages Percent discount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 100,000............................. Base Rate.
100,001 to 500,000........................ 3% off base rates.
500,001 to 1,000,000...................... 4% off previously discounted
rates.
1,000,001 and over........................ 5% off previously discounted
rates.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Package Consignment Service To Canada
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base rates < 100k Volume discounts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pounds 101k-500k 3.00% 501k-1m 4.00% >1m 5.00%
Air Ground -----------------------------------------------------------
Air Ground Air Ground Air Ground
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.............................. 10.15 8.55 9.85 8.29 9.45 7.96 8.98 7.56
2.............................. 11.09 9.37 10.76 9.09 10.33 8.72 9.81 8.29
3.............................. 12.74 10.92 12.36 10.60 11.86 10.17 11.27 9.66
4.............................. 14.38 11.93 13.95 11.57 13.39 11.10 12.73 10.55
5.............................. 16.03 12.95 15.55 12.56 14.93 12.06 14.18 11.46
6.............................. 17.55 13.98 17.03 13.56 16.35 13.02 15.53 12.37
7.............................. 19.19 14.93 18.61 14.48 17.87 13.90 16.98 13.20
8.............................. 20.83 15.85 20.20 15.38 19.39 14.76 18.42 14.03
9.............................. 22.46 16.80 21.79 16.29 20.92 15.64 19.87 14.86
10.............................. 24.10 17.72 23.37 17.19 22.44 16.51 21.32 15.68
11.............................. 25.55 18.55 24.78 17.99 23.79 17.27 22.60 16.41
12.............................. 27.17 19.49 26.36 18.91 25.30 18.15 24.04 17.25
13.............................. 28.81 20.45 27.95 19.84 26.83 19.05 25.49 18.09
14.............................. 30.44 21.40 29.52 20.76 28.34 19.93 26.92 18.93

[[Page 13772]]

15.............................. 32.06 22.36 31.10 21.69 29.85 20.82 28.36 19.78
16.............................. 33.68 23.86 32.67 23.14 31.37 22.21 29.80 21.10
17.............................. 35.32 24.84 34.26 24.09 32.89 23.13 31.25 21.97
18.............................. 36.95 25.81 35.84 25.03 34.40 24.03 32.68 22.83
19.............................. 38.57 26.99 37.41 26.18 35.92 25.14 34.12 23.88
20.............................. 40.19 27.97 38.99 27.13 37.43 26.05 35.56 24.74
21.............................. 41.53 28.74 40.29 27.88 38.68 26.76 36.74 25.43
22.............................. 43.15 29.71 41.85 28.82 40.18 27.67 38.17 26.28
23.............................. 44.76 30.69 43.42 29.77 41.68 28.58 39.59 27.15
24.............................. 46.37 31.66 44.98 30.71 43.18 29.48 41.02 28.01
25.............................. 48.00 32.65 46.56 31.67 44.69 30.40 42.46 28.88
26.............................. 49.61 33.61 48.12 32.61 46.20 31.30 43.89 29.74
27.............................. 50.85 34.60 49.32 33.56 47.35 32.22 44.98 30.61
28.............................. 52.83 35.57 51.25 34.50 49.20 33.12 46.74 31.46
29.............................. 54.46 36.55 52.83 35.45 50.71 34.03 48.18 32.33
30.............................. 56.07 37.52 54.39 36.39 52.21 34.94 49.60 33.19
31.............................. 57.27 38.21 55.55 37.06 53.33 35.58 50.66 33.80
32.............................. 58.87 39.17 57.10 37.99 54.82 36.47 52.08 34.65
33.............................. 60.49 40.14 58.67 38.94 56.32 37.38 53.51 35.51
34.............................. 62.09 41.11 60.22 39.87 57.81 38.28 54.92 36.36
35.............................. 63.69 42.08 61.78 40.82 59.31 39.19 56.34 37.23
36.............................. 65.29 43.04 63.33 41.75 60.80 40.08 57.76 38.08
37.............................. 66.90 44.02 64.90 42.70 62.30 40.99 59.18 38.94
38.............................. 68.50 45.33 66.45 43.97 63.79 42.21 60.60 40.10
39.............................. 70.10 46.49 68.00 45.09 65.28 43.29 62.02 41.12
40.............................. 71.70 47.64 69.55 46.21 66.77 44.36 63.43 42.14
41.............................. 72.79 48.26 70.60 46.81 67.78 44.94 64.39 42.69
42.............................. 74.38 49.23 72.15 47.75 69.26 45.84 65.80 43.55
43.............................. 75.97 50.21 73.69 48.71 70.74 46.76 67.20 44.42
44.............................. 77.56 51.57 75.23 50.03 72.22 48.02 68.61 45.62
45.............................. 79.16 52.56 76.78 50.99 73.71 48.95 70.03 46.50
46.............................. 80.16 53.13 77.75 51.54 74.64 49.48 70.91 47.00
47.............................. 81.74 54.94 79.28 53.29 76.11 51.16 72.31 48.60
48.............................. 83.31 56.77 80.81 55.06 77.58 52.86 73.70 50.22
49.............................. 84.78 58.64 82.24 56.88 78.95 54.60 75.00 51.87
50.............................. 86.48 60.96 83.89 59.13 80.53 56.76 76.51 53.92
51.............................. 88.06 62.45 85.42 60.58 82.00 58.15 77.90 55.24
52.............................. 89.65 63.97 86.96 62.05 83.48 59.57 79.31 56.59
53.............................. 91.23 65.52 88.49 63.56 84.95 61.01 80.70 57.96
54.............................. 92.82 67.08 90.04 65.06 86.43 62.46 82.11 59.34
55.............................. 94.40 68.64 91.57 66.58 87.90 63.92 83.51 60.72
56.............................. 95.28 69.28 92.42 67.20 88.73 64.51 84.29 61.29
57.............................. 96.85 70.37 93.94 68.26 90.19 65.53 85.68 62.25
58.............................. 98.43 71.48 95.48 69.34 91.66 66.56 87.07 63.24
59.............................. 99.99 72.58 96.99 70.40 93.11 67.58 88.46 64.20
60.............................. 101.57 74.18 98.53 71.96 94.59 69.08 89.86 65.62
61.............................. 103.14 75.30 100.05 73.04 96.04 70.12 91.24 66.61
62.............................. 104.72 76.40 101.58 74.11 97.51 71.14 92.64 67.59
63.............................. 105.51 77.48 102.35 75.16 98.25 72.15 93.34 68.54
64.............................. 107.07 78.55 103.85 76.19 99.70 73.15 94.71 69.49
65.............................. 108.63 79.70 105.37 77.31 101.16 74.22 96.10 70.51
66.............................. 110.19 80.85 106.88 78.42 102.61 75.29 97.48 71.52
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Size and Weight Limits
All Air Courier and Ground Courier Service packages must meet the
following size and weight limits:
Size Limits
a. Minimum length and width: large enough to accommodate the
necessary labels and customs forms on the address side.
b. Maximum length: 60 inches.
c. Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches.
Weight Limit
Maximum weight: 66 pounds.
Customs
Customs Forms
Normally all necessary Canadian customs forms will be automatically
generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed
to Canada through an IPCS facility will not be required to bear customs
forms when they are tendered to the Postal Service. The Postal Service
will verify, accept, and transport these packages to a designated IPCS
processing facility. After scanning the customer-printed barcode on
each package and correlating it with the package-specific information
transmitted by the customer, the Postal

[[Page 13773]]
Service will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to
the customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS
processing facility. However, during the interim period in which the
Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the
information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish
this, the customer may be required to prepare the necessary customs
forms on its own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering
them to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer
workstations are located at the customer's plant and operated by
customer employees, the USPS computer will print the customs forms, and
the customer will be required to affix these forms to the appropriate
packages as instructed by the Postal Service prior to verification and
acceptance of the mail.
Customs Clearance
The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System
(CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects
package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are
processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an
IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically
advises the USPS delivery agent and Canadian Customs of the contents of
each package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before the
mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic
pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of
required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through
Canadian Customs and reduces costs for the customer and the Postal
Service.
Preparation Requirements
Air Courier Service
Every package sent through Air Courier Service must bear a label
identifying it as an Air Courier Service package. The customer is not
normally required to affix this label. The Postal Service prints the
necessary label and affixes it to the Air Courier Service package.
However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the
customer are establishing the information systems linkages to enable
the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer is required to
affix an alternative label as instructed by the Postal Service to every
Air Courier Service package.
Ground Courier Service
There are no Canada-specific preparation requirements for packages
sent through Ground Courier Service. Packages weighing 1 pound or less
must bear the Small Packet marking (see 264.21).
* * * * *
5. Effective immediately, the Individual Country Listing for the
Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the International Mail Manual,
Issue 16, is amended by adding the following information, concerning
International Package Consignment Service, to the end of the listing.
International Package Consignment Service (IPCS)
Description
IPCS to the United Kingdom (U.K.) provides the customer with three
delivery options and with preparation by the Postal Service of the
customs and delivery labels required by the British Post Office.
Delivery Options
Premium Service
The Postal Service will transport Premium packages to the U.K. by
air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it
should clear Customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business
on the third working day. The customer can track packages through
delivery and reports on delivery performance are furnished to the
customer in the formats and at the frequencies agreed upon by the
Postal Service and the customer.
Standard Service
The Postal Service will transport Standard packages to the U.K. by
air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it
should clear Customs and be delivered by close of business on the
fourth working day. The customer can track packages through delivery
and reports on delivery performance are furnished to the customer in
the formats and at the frequencies agreed upon by the Postal Service
and the customer.
Economy Service
The Postal Service will transport Economy packages to the U.K. by
air. Once a package is dispatched from a customer's facility, it should
clear Customs and be delivered by close of business the fifth or sixth
working day. Tracking and tracing is available to the point of entry
into the U.K. domestic mail stream.
Processing and Acceptance
Within 500 Miles of an IPCS Processing Facility
If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is
located within 500 miles of an IPCS processing facility, the Postal
Service will accept the packages at the customer's plant and transport
them by truck to the IPCS processing facility according to a schedule
agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer.
More than 500 Miles from an IPCS Processing Facility
If the customer's plant from which the IPCS packages will originate
is located more than 500 miles from an IPCS processing facility, the
customer can choose one of two processing options.
Option One: The customer will be required to present the packages
to the Postal Service for verification at the customer's plant and
transport them as a drop shipment to an IPCS processing facility
according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the
customer.
Option Two: The customer will process the packages using Postal
Service-provided computer system workstations and sort and prepare the
packages as required by the Postal Service. Then, the Postal Service
accepts the packages at the customer's plant and transports them by
truck to the nearest air mail facility according to a schedule agreed
upon by the Postal Service and the customer. From the air mail
facility, the Postal Service dispatches the IPCS packages to the U.K.,
bypassing an IPCS processing facility.
Required Package-Specific Information
Requirements are the same as those detailed in Section 626.3.
Insurance and Indemnity
Premium and Standard Services
Packages sent through the Premium or Standard Services are insured
against loss, damage, or rifling at no additional cost. Indemnity will
be paid by the Postal Service as provided in DMM S500. However, Premium
and Standard packages are not insured against delay in delivery.
Neither indemnity payments nor postage refunds will be made in event of
delay.
Economy Service
Packages sent through Economy Service may be insured at an
additional cost. See 320.

[[Page 13774]]

Postage
General
The base rates for the three available delivery options are set
forth below. These rates may be reduced by an annual discount depending
on how many packages the customer mails to the U.K. using any of the
three IPCS delivery options in a twelve month period.
Base Rates
The Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound
increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer
during a 12-month period.

International Package Consignment Service
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base rates For volumes > 100,000
Pounds to: -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Premium Standard Economy Premium Standard Economy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...................................... 13.87 11.17 9.95 13.59 10.95 9.75
2...................................... 15.21 12.46 11.19 14.90 12.21 10.97
3...................................... 16.54 13.75 12.43 16.21 13.47 12.18
4...................................... 17.88 15.04 13.67 17.52 14.73 13.39
5...................................... 19.21 16.32 14.91 18.83 16.00 14.61
6...................................... 20.55 17.61 16.15 20.14 17.26 15.82
7...................................... 21.88 18.90 17.39 21.44 18.52 17.04
8...................................... 23.71 20.18 18.63 23.24 19.78 18.25
9...................................... 25.08 21.47 19.87 24.58 21.04 19.47
10...................................... 26.63 22.76 21.11 26.09 22.30 20.68
11...................................... 28.00 24.05 22.35 27.44 23.57 21.90
12...................................... 29.37 25.33 23.59 28.79 24.83 23.11
13...................................... 30.96 26.62 24.82 30.34 26.09 24.33
14...................................... 32.34 27.91 26.06 31.70 27.35 25.54
15...................................... 33.96 29.20 27.30 33.28 28.61 27.76
16...................................... 35.35 30.48 28.54 34.64 29.87 27.97
17...................................... 36.99 31.77 29.78 36.25 31.13 29.19
18...................................... 38.66 33.06 31.02 37.88 32.40 30.40
19...................................... 40.61 34.35 32.26 39.80 33.66 63.62
20...................................... 42.04 35.63 33.50 41.20 34.92 32.83
21...................................... 43.47 36.92 34.74 42.60 36.18 34.05
22...................................... 44.90 38.21 35.98 44.00 37.44 35.26
23...................................... 46.33 39.49 37.22 45.40 38.70 36.48
24...................................... 47.76 40.78 38.46 46.81 39.97 37.69
25...................................... 49.19 42.07 39.70 48.21 41.23 38.91
26...................................... 50.62 43.36 40.94 49.61 42.49 40.12
27...................................... 53.44 44.64 42.18 52.37 43.75 41.34
28...................................... 54.91 45.93 43.42 53.81 45.01 42.55
29...................................... 56.38 47.22 44.66 55.25 46.27 43.77
30...................................... 57.85 48.51 45.90 56.69 47.54 44.98
31...................................... 59.31 49.79 47.14 58.13 48.80 46.20
32...................................... 60.78 51.08 48.38 59.57 50.06 47.41
33...................................... 62.25 52.37 49.62 61.01 51.32 48.63
34...................................... 63.72 53.65 50.86 62.45 52.58 49.84
35...................................... 65.19 54.94 52.10 63.88 53.84 51.06
36...................................... 66.66 56.23 53.34 65.32 55.10 52.27
37...................................... 68.13 57.52 54.58 66.76 56.37 53.48
38...................................... 69.59 58.80 55.82 68.20 57.63 54.70
39...................................... 72.45 60.09 57.06 71.00 58.89 55.91
40...................................... 73.94 61.38 58.30 72.46 60.15 57.13
41...................................... 75.44 62.67 59.54 73.93 61.41 58.34
42...................................... 76.94 63.95 60.77 75.40 62.67 59.56
43...................................... 78.44 65.24 62.01 76.87 63.94 60.77
44...................................... 79.93 66.53 63.25 78.33 65.20 61.99
45...................................... 81.43 67.82 64.49 79.80 66.46 63.20
46...................................... 82.93 69.10 65.73 81.27 67.72 64.42
47...................................... 84.42 70.39 66.97 82.74 68.98 65.63
48...................................... 85.92 71.68 68.21 84.20 70.24 66.85
49...................................... 87.42 72.96 69.45 85.67 71.51 68.06
50...................................... 88.91 74.25 70.69 87.14 72.77 69.28
51...................................... 90.41 75.54 71.93 88.60 74.03 70.49
52...................................... 91.91 76.83 73.17 90.07 75.29 71.71
53...................................... 93.41 78.11 74.41 91.54 76.55 72.92
54...................................... 94.90 79.40 75.65 93.01 77.81 74.14
55...................................... 96.40 80.69 76.89 94.47 79.07 75.35
56...................................... 97.90 81.98 78.13 95.94 80.34 76.57
57...................................... 99.39 83.26 79.37 97.41 81.60 77.78
58...................................... 100.89 84.55 80.61 98.87 82.86 79.00
59...................................... 102.39 85.84 81.85 100.34 84.12 80.21
60...................................... 103.89 87.13 83.09 101.81 85.38 81.43

[[Page 13775]]

61...................................... 105.38 88.41 84.33 103.28 86.64 82.64
62...................................... 106.88 89.70 85.57 104.74 87.91 83.86
63...................................... 108.38 90.99 86.81 106.21 89.17 85.07
64...................................... 109.87 92.27 88.05 107.68 90.43 86.29
65...................................... 111.37 93.56 89.29 109.14 91.69 87.50
66...................................... 112.87 94.85 90.53 110.61 92.95 88.72
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Size and Weight Limits
All packages must meet the following size and weight limits:
Size Limits
a. Minimum length and width: large enough to accommodate the
necessary customs/delivery label on the address side.
b. Maximum length: 60 inches.
c. Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches.
Weight Limit
Maximum weight: 66 pounds.
Customs
Customs Forms
Normally all necessary U.K. customs forms will be automatically
generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed
to the U.K. through an IPCS processing facility will not be required to
bear customs forms when they are tendered to the Postal Service. The
Postal Service will verify, accept, and transport these packages to a
designated IPCS processing facility. After scanning the customer-
printed barcode on each package and correlating it with the package-
specific information transmitted by the customer, the Postal Service
will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to the
customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS
Processing Facility. However, during the interim period in which the
Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the
information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish
this, the customer may be required to prepare the necessary customs
forms on its own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering
them to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer
workstations are located at the customer's plant and operated by
customer employees, the USPS computer workstations will print the
customs forms, and the customer will be required to affix these forms
to the appropriate packages as instructed by the Postal Service prior
to verification and acceptance of the mail.
Customs Clearance
The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System
(CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects
package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are
processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an
IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically
advises the USPS delivery agent and Customs in the U.K. of the contents
of each package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before
the mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic
pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of
required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through
U.K. Customs and reduces costs for the customer and the Postal Service.
Preparation Requirements
Every package sent through Premium, Standard or Economy Service
must bear a label identifying it as a Premium, a Standard or an Economy
Service package. The customer is not normally required to affix this
label. The Postal Service prints the necessary label and affixes it to
the package. However, during the interim period in which the Postal
Service and the customer are establishing the information systems
linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer
is required to affix an alternative label as instructed by the Postal
Service to every package.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 96-7435 Filed 3-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P