[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43292-43295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20555]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 20


International Priority Airmail Service

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Interim rule and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: On November 25, 1998, the Postal Service published in the 
Federal Register (63 FR 65153) a proposed rule to change rates and 
conditions of service for International Priority Airmail (IPA). The 
Postal Service adopted the proposed rule by notice in the Federal 
Register (64 FR 10219) on March 3, 1999, with an effective date of 
April 4, 1999. The Postal Service is now introducing rates for mail to 
Canada.

DATES: Effective Date: 12:01 a.m., August 10, 1999. Comments on the 
interim rule must be received on or before September 9, 1999.


[[Page 43293]]


ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Manager, Financial 
Services, Room 370-IBU, International Business Unit, U.S. Postal 
Service, Washington, DC 20260-6500. Copies of all written comments will 
be available for public inspection between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, in the International Business Unit, 10th Floor, 901 D 
Street SW, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Singer, (202) 268-3422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: International Priority Airmail (IPA) is a 
volume airmail letter service that gives mailers the opportunity to 
benefit from work-sharing with the Postal Service and to gain improved 
speed of delivery for presorted mail. On November 25, 1998, by notice 
in the Federal Register (63 FR 65153), the Postal Service sought 
comment on proposed changes in IPA service. These changes include 
increasing the minimum sack weight from 10 pounds to 11 pounds; 
providing country-wide acceptance; instituting volume discounts; 
providing drop ship rates; and reducing the rates for IPA service.
    In response to the request for comment, the Postal Service received 
one comment. The commenter fully supported the changes proposed by the 
Postal Service but suggested that the Postal Service include Canada in 
rate group 2.
    IPA service is currently not available to Canada; however, the 
Postal Service does provide a similar service to Canada--Bulk Letter 
Service to Canada. The Postal Service was not able to include service 
to Canada because the costs associated with sending mail to Canada 
differed from those associated with sending mail to all other countries 
in rate group 2 and the differences would have resulted in non-
compensatory rates. The proposed rule was adopted by notice in the 
Federal Register (64 FR 10219) on March 3, 1999, with an effective date 
of April 4, 1999.
    Due to a change in the cost of sending mail to Canada, the Postal 
Service is now able to offer IPA service for mail destined for delivery 
in Canada. However, because the cost for this mail is dissimilar to 
current rate groups, a separate rate group is established for Canada.
    IPA service to Canada will be more flexible than Bulk Letter 
Service to Canada, which will be eliminated at the end of the current 
postal fiscal year. This will enable current users of Bulk Letter 
Service to Canada to transition to IPA at their convenience until 
September 10, 1999.
    Although the Postal Service is exempted by 39 U.S.C. 410(a) from 
the advance notice requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act 
regarding rulemaking (5 U.S.C. 553), interested parties are invited to 
submit written data, views, or comments regarding this interim rule to 
the address above.
    The Postal Service is adopting the following interim 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

    Foreign relations, International postal service.

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. The International Mail Manual is amended to delete Subchapter 
225, Bulk Letter Service (Canada only), effective September 11, 1999, 
and to immediately incorporate program changes to Subchapter 280, 
International Priority Airmail Service, as follows:

International Mail Manual (IMM)

* * * * *

2  Conditions for Mailing

* * * * *

220  Letters and Letter Packages

* * * * *

225  Bulk Letter Service (Canada Only)

    [This subchapter is deleted effective September 11, 1999.]
* * * * *

280  International Priority Airmail Service

281  Description

* * * * *

281.3  Minimum Quantity Requirements

* * * * *

281.32  Presort Mail

    The mailer must have a minimum of 11 pounds of presorted LC/AO mail 
to a single rate group, including Canada, to qualify for the presort 
rate for that rate group.

    Note: Mail that cannot be made up in direct country packages 
(284.521), in direct country sacks (284.61), or in trays (284.651) 
does not qualify for the presort rates and is subject to the 
worldwide nonpresort rates.
* * * * *

282  Postage

282.1  Rates

282.11  General

    There are two rate options for International Priority Airmail 
service: a presort rate option that has five rate groups, and a 
worldwide nonpresort rate. For both options, there are full service 
rates for mail deposited at offices other than the drop shipment 
offices listed in 281.5, and drop ship rates for mail deposited at one 
of the drop shipment offices. The per-piece rates and per-pound rates 
are shown in Exhibit 282.11. The per-piece rate of $0.10 or $0.25 
applies to each piece regardless of its weight. The per-pound rate 
applies to the net weight (gross weight minus tare weight of sack) of 
the mail for the specific rate group. Fractions of a pound are rounded 
to the next whole pound for postage calculation.

                                                 Exhibit 282.11
                                     [International priority airmail rates]
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                                                                                            Pound rate
                           Rate group                               Piece rate   -------------------------------
                                                                                   Full service      Drop ship
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Canada..........................................................           $0.25           $3.40           $2.40
1...............................................................            0.25            5.00            4.00
2...............................................................            0.10            5.25            4.25
3...............................................................            0.10            6.50            5.50
4...............................................................            0.10            7.50            6.50
Worldwide.......................................................            0.25            7.00            6.00
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[[Page 43294]]

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282.15  Presort Rates

    To qualify for the presort Canada or Group 1, 2, 3, or 4 rates (see 
Exhibit 282.11), a mailing must consist of a minimum of 11 pounds to a 
specific rate group. This minimum applies to each rate group and not to 
the entire mailing (see 281.32). Within a rate group, all mail 
addressed to an individual country must be sorted into direct country 
packages of 10 or more pieces (or 1 pound or more of mail) (284.521) 
and/or sacked in direct country sacks of 11 pounds or more (284.61).

    Note: There are separate preparation requirements for mail to 
Canada. See 284.65.
    Mail that cannot be made up into direct country packages or direct 
country sacks must be sent at the worldwide nonpresort rates.

282.16  Separation by Rate Group

    The mailer must specify the rate group on the back of Tag 115, 
International Priority Airmail, with Canada, 1, 2, 3, 4, or WW 
(Worldwide), and must physically separate the sacks by rate group at 
the time of mailing.
* * * * *

284  Preparation Requirements for Individual Items

* * * * *

                                                 Exhibit 284.522
                                       [Add Canada to exhibit as follows:]
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                                                                3-Letter exchange
             Rate group                      Country               office code             Exchange Office
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada.............................  Canada................  Exhibit 284.65,
                                                              Canadian Labeling
                                                              Information.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

284.6  Sacking Requirements

* * * * *

284.612  Direct Country Sack Tags

    Direct country sacks must be labeled with Tag 178. The tag is white 
and specially coded to route the mail to a specific country and airport 
of destination. The blocks on the tag for date, weight, and dispatch 
information must be completed by the Postal Service and may not be 
completed by the mailer. The mailer must complete the ``To'' block 
showing the destination country. Tag 115, International Priority 
Airmail, must also be affixed to the direct country sacks. Tag 115 is a 
``Day-Glo'' pink tag that identifies the mail to ensure it receives 
priority handling. The mailer must designate on the back of Tag 115 the 
applicable rate group, using Canada, 1, 2, 3, 4, or WW (Worldwide).
* * * * *

284.65  Preparation Requirements for Canada

    To qualify for the presort rates for Canada, a mailer must have at 
least 11 pounds of mail for Canada. This includes letter-size, flat-
size, and package-size items even though such items are prepared in 
separate equipment. If the mailing contains less than 11 pounds of mail 
for Canada, or if the mailer chooses to do so, mail for Canada is 
included in the worldwide nonpresort rate mail with that for other 
countries. Worldwide nonpresort mail for Canada is prepared in 
accordance with 284.63. The preparation requirements of presorted mail 
to Canada follow.

284.651  Letter-Size Mail and Flat-Size Mail

    Letter-size items are prepared in letter trays, either half-size or 
full-size, depending on volume. Flat-size items are prepared in flat 
trays. All items must be faced in the same direction, and all trays 
must be full enough to keep the mail from mixing during transportation. 
Do not prepare the content of the tray in packages. The mailer must 
label each tray to show the destination in Canada and the dispatching 
U.S. international exchange office in the following format:
    Line 1: Canadian destination, U.S. exchange office code
    Line 2: Contents
    Line 3: Mailer, mailer location

Example:

    Toronto ON FWD      11430
    IPA
    ABC Company, New York, NY

    In addition, the mailer must complete PS Tag 115, International 
Priority Airmail. Write ``Canada'' on the reverse and tape the tag to 
the tray sleeve. All trays must be banded.

284.652  Packages

    Items that cannot be prepared in trays because of their size or 
shape must be placed loose in blue airmail sacks. Use PS Tag 115, 
International Priority Airmail, and label to either Toronto or 
Vancouver, as appropriate. Attached a completed PS Tag 178. See 
284.612.

                                                 Exhibit 284.65
                                         [Canadian labeling information]
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                                                                     U.S.
           Origin ZIP Code                  Exchange office        Exchange          Canadian destination
                                                                 office code
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
270-282, 286-326, 344, 350-397, 399..  ATL.....................        30320  Toronto ON FWD.
130-149..............................  BUF.....................        14240  Toronto ON FWD.
700-708, 710-738, 740-799, 885.......  DFW.....................        75300  Toronto ON FWD.
430-459, 480-497.....................  DTW.....................        48242  Toronto ON FWD.
967-969..............................  HNL.....................        96820  Vancouver BC FWD.
200-249, 254, 268, 283-285, 400-418,   IAD.....................        20101  Toronto ON FWD.
 420-427, 476-477.
004-005, 010-098, 100-129, 150-199,    JFK.....................        11430  Toronto ON FWD.
 250-267.
850, 852-853, 855-857, 859-860, 863-   LAX.....................        90009  Vancouver BC FWD.
 865, 889-891, 896, 900-908, 910-928,
 930-936.
006-009, 327-334, 340, 347, 349......  MIA.....................        33159  Toronto ON FWD.
460-475, 478-479, 498-516, 520-528,    ORD.....................        60666  Toronto ON FWD.
 530-567, 570-578, 600-631, 633-641,
 644-658, 660-662, 664-681, 683-693,
 739, 800-816, 822-831, 840-847, 870-
 884, 893, 898.
590-599, 821, 832-838, 970-986, 988-   SEA.....................        98158  Vancouver BC FWD.
 999.

[[Page 43295]]

 
894-895, 897, 937-966................  SFO.....................        94128  Vancouver BC FWD.
335-339, 341-342, 346-347............  TPA.....................        33630  Toronto ON FWD.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 99-20555 Filed 8-5-99; 4:40 pm]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P