[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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Price per piece standard
                                                         service        
           Weight not over (pounds)            -------------------------
                                                  <100,000     >100,000 
                                                   pieces       pieces  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discounts

    Postage is reduced by the following discounts once the applicable 
volume thresholds are reached during a 12-month period:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Number of packages mailed                    Discount 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 100,000................................................          3%
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel Legislative.
[FR Doc. 97-23836 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P