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[Federal Register: February 10, 1995]
     
     
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POSTAL SERVICE
     
39 CFR Part 20
     
     
Discontinuation of Authorization to Use Domestic Postal Money 
Orders Internationally
     
AGENCY: Postal Service.
     
ACTION: Final rule.
     
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is discontinuing the Semidomestic Money 
Order Service. The domestic money order form is no longer being used 
for payments to Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; 
Belize; British Virgin Islands; Canada; Dominica; Grenada; Jamaica; 
Montserrat; St. Christopher and Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines; and Trinidad and Tobago. In place of the domestic form, the 
Postal Service will use the international postal money order form (MP1) 
when issuing a money order for payment in these countries.
     
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 1, 1995.
     
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Al Gillum, (703) 905-3818.
     
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service has received numerous 
complaints from foreign postal administrations regarding the acceptance 
of domestic postal money orders by the banking system in those 
countries. This practice circumvents the policies and procedures 
regarding the acceptance of international postal money orders agreed to 
within the Universal Postal Union.
    The Postal Service is committed to enforcing the agreements with
its foreign partners. A concerted effort is being made to restrict the 
negotiation of domestic postal money orders to the United States and 
its possessions and territories, and the Freely Associated States 
(FAS). Possessions and territories are American Samoa (including Manua 
Island, Swain's Island, Tutuila Island); Baker Island; Guam; Howland 
Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Island; Kingman Reef; Midway Island; 
Navassa Island; Northern Mariana Islands (including Rota Island; Saipan 
Island, Tinian Island); Palmyra Island; Puerto Rico; Sand Island; U.S. 
Virgin Islands (including St. Croix Island; St. John Island, St. Thomas 
Island); and Wake Island. The FAS are Marshall Islands (including Ebeye 
Island, Majuro Island); Palau (including Koror Island); and Micronesia 
(including Chuuk (Truk) Island, Kosrae Island, Pohnepi Island, Yap 
Island).
    Semidomestic Money Order Service permits the negotiation of
domestic postal money orders in the countries listed in the Summary. In 
order to restrict uniformly the negotiation of domestic postal money 
orders to the United States and its possessions and territories and to 
the FAS, it is necessary to discontinue Semidomestic Money Order 
Service.
    In light of the foregoing, the Postal Service hereby 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
     
    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. Chapter 3 of the International Mail Manual is amended by
revising subchapter 390 as follows:
     
CHAPTER 3--SPECIAL SERVICES
     
* * * * *
     
390 Supplementary Services
     
391 International Money Orders
     
* * * * *
[Revise section 391.11 by deleting ``and Semi-Direct Service'' to read 
as follows:]
     
    International postal money order service is available to transfer
funds to individuals or firms in countries that have entered into 
agreements with the United States Postal Service for the exchange of 
postal money orders. International postal money orders sent by Direct 
Service may be sent by letter mail or Express Mail International 
Service (EMS).
* * * * *
[Revise section 391.2 by replacing ``three'' in the first sentence with 
``two''; by deleting section 391.2a in its entirety and renumbering 
sections 391.2b and 391.2c to sections 391.2a and 391.2b, respectively; 
and by adding the countries in the Summary to the renumbered section 
391.2b to read as follows:]
     
    Postal money orders are exchanged with countries in one of two
ways:
    a. Standard international postal money orders. This method uses the
Authorization to Issue an International Money Order form set. See 
Individual Country Listings.
    b. Direct international postal money orders. This method uses the
pink international postal money order form (MP1). The following 
countries accept this form: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, 
Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cape Verde, 
Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Montserrat, 
Nigeria, Panama, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and 
the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, and Trinidad and Tobago. Money orders 
issued by these countries in U.S. dollars, with the exception of 
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, are negotiable in the United States. 
There will be no money orders issued in Bolivia, Cape Verde, Dominican 
Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, and Sierra Leone 
for payment in the United States. The MP1 cards issued in Japan for 
payment in the United States must be shown in U.S. dollars preceded by 
the capital letters ``USD.''
    Money orders issued in Mali for payment in the United States will
be the standard international postal money order.
[Revise section 391.3 by replacing ``three'' with ``two'' in the first 
sentence; by deleting section 391.3a in its entirety and renumbering 
section 391.3c to section 391.3a; and by adding the countries in the 
Summary to the renumbered section 391.3a to read as follows:]
     
    There are two separate fees for international money orders:
    a. The fee for money orders payable in countries that accept the
pink international postal money order form (MP1) is $3 per money order. 
These countries are:
     
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cape Verde
Costa Rica
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guyana
Honduras
Jamaica
Japan
Mali
Mexico
Montserrat
Nigeria
Panama
St. Christopher and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sierra Leone
Trinidad and Tobago
* * * * *
[Delete section 391.411 in its entirety.] 
[Renumber former section 391.412 as 391.411.]
[Renumber former section 391.413 as 391.412 and add the countries in 
the Summary to read as follows:]
     
    Use the pink international money order form (MP1) for money orders
payable in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, 
Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, 
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, 
Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Montserrat, Nigeria, Panama, 
St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 
Sierra Leone, and Trinidad and Tobago. Follow the issuance procedures 
in DMM S020.
     
    Note: Money orders payable in Canada, the amount of the money
order must be expressed in U.S. currency only. Issuing clerks must 
use the money order imprinter in the usual manner, printing the 
amount received in U.S. currency. Clerks must not write the word 
``Canadian,'' followed by the equivalent amount in Canadian 
currency, on the money order.
* * * * *
[Revise section 391.421 by deleting ``the domestic money order or'' 
from the first sentence to read as follows:]
     
    When the international postal money order form (MP1) is used to
send funds, the purchaser should complete the information requested on 
both the money order and the customer's receipt. The Postal Service is 
not liable for money orders that are lost before the purchaser 
completes this information. Money orders may be made payable to the 
purchaser, a person or a firm, or a payee by official title. (Example: 
Director of Publications, Canada.)
* * * * *
[Revise section 391.423 by deleting country names to read as follows:]
     
    Follow the instructions for preparing domestic money orders in DMM
S020 when using the pink international postal money order form (MP1). 
* * * * *
[Revise section 391.431 by deleting ``Domestic Postal Money Orders 
and'' from the title and by deleting country names to read as follows:]
     
391.431  International Postal Money Order Form (MP1)
     
    Follow the instructions for preparing domestic money orders in DMM
S020 when issuing the pink international postal money order form (MP1). 
* * * * *
[Delete section 391.721 in its entirety.] 
[Renumber former section 391.722 to 391.721.]
[Revise former section 391.723 by renumbering to section 391.722 and by 
deleting country names to read as follows:]
     
    Use Form 6401, Domestic Money Order Inquiry, in accordance with DMM
S020.2.14 when filing inquiries or requests for replacement of 
international postal money order form (MP1). Only the purchaser may 
file and receive payment. Replacement will not be made before 6 months 
after the date of issuance.
* * * * *
[Delete sections 391.9, 391.91, and 391.92 in their entirety.] 
* * * * *
    A transmittal letter making the changes in the pages of the
International Mail Manual will be published and transmitted to 
subscribers automatically. Notice of issuance of the transmittal letter 
will be published in the Federal Register as provided by 39 CFR 20.3. 

Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 95-3433 Filed 2-9-95; 8:45 am] 
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P