[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 47558-47560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23836]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 20
Implementation of Global Package Link Service
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Interim rules with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Global Package Link is an international mail service designed
for companies sending merchandise to other countries. To implement an
agreement previously entered into with the postal administration of
France, that country is now being added as a destination country. This
action is consistent with the Postal Service's original plan to add
destination countries as customer needs dictate (59 FR 65961; December
22, 1994). Global Package Link Service has previously been made
available to Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico,
Singapore, and the United Kingdom. To use Global Package Link (GPL)
service, a customer must mail at least 10,000 GPL packages a year and
agree to link its information systems with those of the Postal Service,
so that the Postal Service can extract certain information about the
contents of the customer's packages for customs clearance and other
purposes. Initially, the Postal Service will offer one Standard
delivery option in France. A second, Premium Service, is under
development and will be available in the next year. 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 September 10, 1997. Comments
must be received on or before October 10, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to Global
Package Link Service, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room
370 IBU, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Michelson at the above address.
Telephone: (202) 268-5731.
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 obligation of the Postal Service ``to provide types of mail service
to meet the needs of different categories of mail and mail users.''
Global Package Link is designed to more closely meet the needs of
customers who send merchandise packages from the United States to
multiple international addresses 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. Global
Package Link makes it easier and more economical for businesses in the
United States to export their products to international markets.
In late 1994, with implementation of International Package
Consignment Service, later renamed Global Package Link, 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 later expanded GPL by
adding Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, China, Germany,
Mexico, and
[[Page 47559]]
Singapore as destination countries for qualifying customers (61 FR
13765, March 28, 1996; 62 FR 17072, April 9, 1997; 62 FR 25515, May 9,
1997; 62 FR 45160, August 26, 1997), and is hereby further expanding
GPL by adding France as a destination country for qualifying customers.
This action implements an agreement previously entered into with the
postal administration of France on June 30, 1997, and is described
below.
II. GPL to France
A. Qualifying Criteria
A customer who wants to use GPL to France will be required to enter
into a service agreement with the Postal Service agreeing to meet each
of the requirements for using GPL service. First, the customer must
mail at least 10,000 GPL packages a year. (Volumes to all GPL countries
may be counted toward this minimum. See part IV below.) Second, the
customer must designate the Postal Service as its carrier of choice to
each country for which it uses GPL service. Third, the customer must
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, postage and handling charge, 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 GPL, 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 and to provide user-friendly tracking
and tracing.
Arrangements between the Postal Service and the customer that are
technical in nature also may appear in the GPL 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. Customs Forms
Normally, all necessary Customs forms will be automatically
generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed
to France through a GPL 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 GPL
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 GPL Processing Facility.
C. Customs Clearance
The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System
(CPAS) as part of GPL processing. This electronic system collects
package-specific data to satisfy Customs requirements as packages are
processed using the USPS computer workstations located at a GPL
facility. 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. To use CPAS, recipients of merchandise must
designate the Postal Service and its Customs broker as their agents for
Customs clearance.
D. Delivery Options
The Postal Service will initially offer one delivery option in
France. This Standard Service will include home delivery throughout
France within two to three days after clearing Customs.
Premium Service is under development and will be available in the
next year. It will include track and trace for individual packages and
delivery throughout France within one to two days after clearing
Customs.
E. Rates
The base rates for GPL service to France are set forth below. The
Postal Service will charge the base rates, in one pound increments, for
the first 100,000 packages mailed by a customer in a 12-month period.
Once the customer has mailed 100,000 packages to a country, postage for
the rest of the customer's packages to that country in the remainder of
that 12-month period will be reduced by 3% from the base rates.
III. Minimum Volumes
Minimum volumes to all GPL countries are set at a uniform level of
10,000 packages during a 12-month time period. Volumes to all GPL
destination countries will be applied toward fulfillment of this
minimum.
IV. Conclusion
Accordingly, the Postal Service hereby adopts the following interim
regulations for GPL service to France. 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 September 10, 1997, subchapter 620 of the
International Mail Manual, Issue 18, is amended as follows:
6 Special Programs
* * * * *
620 Global Package Link
* * * * *
621.3 Availability
Global Package Link service is available only to Brazil, Canada,
Chile, China (People's Republic of), France, Germany, Japan, Mexico,
Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
* * * * *
623 General
* * * * *
[[Page 47560]]
623.2 Customs Documentation
Customs documentation will be produced by the Postal Service from
data transmitted by the mailer.
623.3 Size and Weight Limits
The weight limits for Global Package Link service are 70 pounds for
Chile, China, and Germany; 66 pounds for Brazil, Canada, France,
Singapore, and the United Kingdom; 64 pounds for Mexico; and 44 pounds
for Japan.
The maximum length of GPL packages is 60 inches and the maximum
length and girth combined is 108 inches with exceptions: Maximum size
for Germany is length 47 inches, height 23 inches, width 23 inches;
maximum size for China for any one dimension is 59 inches; the sum of
the length and the greatest circumference measured in a direction other
than the length shall not exceed 118 inches; Japan Standard packages
weighing less than 1 pound, the maximum length is 24 inches with a
height and depth and length combined maximum of 36 inches. All packages
must be large enough to accommodate the necessary labels and customs
forms on the address side.
* * * * *
626 Services Available
* * * * *
626.11 Premium Service
Premium service is available to all countries (Air Courier for
Canada) except France. Packages sent through premium service are
transported to the destination country by air where they receive
special handling and expedited delivery. The mailer can track premium
service packages through delivery. Reports of delivery performance are
furnished to the mailer in the formats and at the frequencies agreed
upon by the Postal Service and the mailer.
626.12 Standard Service
Standard service is available to Japan, Canada (Ground Courier for
Canada), France, Mexico, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Packages
sent through standard service are transported to the destination
country by air (or a combination of air/ground to Canada) for delivery.
The mailer can track standard service packages through dispatch from
the Global Package Link processing facility for Japan and France and
through delivery for Canada and the United Kingdom. In Mexico, Standard
Service provides for customer pickup of parcels at selected, secured,
customer service centers with tracking to pickup.
* * * * *
3. Effective September 10, 1997, the Individual Country Listing for
France in the International Mail Manual, Issue 18, is amended by adding
the following information, concerning Global Package Link, to the end
of the listing.
France
Global Package Link
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Price per piece standard
service
Weight not over (pounds) -------------------------
<100,000 >100,000
pieces pieces
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1............................................. $6.75 $6.55
2............................................. 8.75 8.49
3............................................. 10.75 10.43
4............................................. 12.75 12.37
5............................................. 14.75 14.31
6............................................. 16.75 16.25
7............................................. 18.75 18.19
8............................................. 20.75 20.13
9............................................. 22.75 22.07
10............................................ 24.75 24.01
11............................................ 26.75 25.95
12............................................ 28.75 27.89
13............................................ 30.75 29.83
14............................................ 32.75 31.77
15............................................ 34.75 33.71
16............................................ 36.75 35.65
17............................................ 38.75 37.59
18............................................ 40.75 39.53
19............................................ 42.75 41.47
20............................................ 44.75 43.41
21............................................ 46.75 45.35
22............................................ 48.75 47.29
23............................................ 50.75 49.23
24............................................ 52.75 51.17
25............................................ 54.75 53.11
26............................................ 56.75 55.05
27............................................ 58.75 56.99
28............................................ 60.75 58.93
29............................................ 62.75 60.87
30............................................ 64.75 62.81
31............................................ 66.75 64.75
32............................................ 68.75 66.69
33............................................ 70.75 68.63
34............................................ 72.75 70.57
35............................................ 74.75 72.51
36............................................ 76.75 74.45
37............................................ 78.75 76.39
38............................................ 80.75 78.33
39............................................ 82.75 80.27
40............................................ 84.75 82.21
41............................................ 86.75 84.15
42............................................ 88.75 86.09
43............................................ 90.75 88.03
44............................................ 92.75 89.97
45............................................ 94.75 91.91
46............................................ 96.75 93.85
47............................................ 98.75 95.79
48............................................ 100.75 97.73
49............................................ 102.75 99.67
50............................................ 104.75 101.61
51............................................ 106.75 103.55
52............................................ 108.75 105.49
53............................................ 110.75 107.43
54............................................ 112.75 109.37
55............................................ 114.75 111.31
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Discounts
Postage is reduced by the following discounts once the applicable
volume thresholds are reached during a 12-month period:
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Number of packages mailed Discount
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Over 100,000................................................ 3%
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* * * * *
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel Legislative.
[FR Doc. 97-23836 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P