[Federal Register: October 16, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 200)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 52555-52560]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16oc01-25]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 20

International Mail Postal Rates; Proposed Changes

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to its authority under 39 U.S.C. 407, the Postal
Service

[[Page 52556]]

is proposing changes in international postal rates for International
Priority Airmail, International Surface Air Lift, and publishers'
periodical mail. As required under the Postal Reorganization Act, the
proposed changes will result in international postal rates that do not
apportion the costs of the service so as to impair the overall value of
the service to the users, are fair and reasonable, and are not unduly
or unreasonably discriminatory or preferential.

DATES: Comments on the proposed changes must be received on or before
November 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Manager,
International Pricing, International Business, U.S. Postal Services,
1735 N. Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-6020. Copies of all written
comments will be available for public inspection between 9 a.m. and 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, in International Business, 2nd Floor, 1735
N. Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-6020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walter J. Grandjean, (703) 292-3579.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed rates for International
Priority Airmail (IPA), International Surface Air Lift (ISAL), and
publishers' periodicals, shown in the tables herein, are needed by the
Postal Service to cover increases in the cost of providing
international mail service, including transportation and delivery
charges in the destination country. These services are bulk commercial
services that are sensitive to changes in cost.
    The rates for publishers' periodicals are currently divided into
three rate groups: Canada, Mexico, and all other countries. The Postal
Service adopted five rate groups for other letter-post mail on January
7, 2001. The Postal Service is proposing to base publishers' periodical
rates on these same five rate groups. This enables the Postal Service
to establish rates that more closely align with the cost of providing
service to particular country groups having similar costs.
    The Postal Service is proposing to change only the rates contained
herein. No other rates are changed.
    Although 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 public comment.
    The Postal Service proposes to adopt the following rates and to
amend the International Mail Manual (IMM), 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 services.

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 (IMM) will be amended to
incorporate the following postage rates:

                                      International Priority Airmail Rates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 Drop shipment     Full service
                          Rate group                            Per piece rate     per pound        per pound
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 (Canada)...................................................            $0.28            $2.60            $3.60
2 (Mexico)...................................................             0.12             4.60             5.60
3............................................................             0.25             4.00             5.00
4............................................................             0.25             5.50             6.50
5............................................................             0.12             4.85             5.85
6............................................................             0.12             4.75             5.75
7............................................................             0.12             6.25             7.25
8............................................................             0.12             7.25             8.25
Worldwide....................................................             0.20             7.00             8.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      International Surface Air Lift Rates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Full service per   Direct shipment per   ISC drop shipment
                                            Per           pound                pound              per pound
               Rate group                  piece  --------------------------------------------------------------
                                           rate     Regular     M-bag    Regular     M-bag    Regular     M-bag
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 (Canada).............................     $0.28      $3.05     $1.50      $2.55     $1.50      $2.05     $1.40
2 (Mexico).............................      0.12       4.35      1.60       3.85      1.60       3.35      1.50
3......................................      0.25       3.40      1.75       2.90      1.75       2.40      1.50
4......................................      0.25       3.75      2.50       3.25      2.50       2.75      2.50
5......................................      0.12       4.65      2.25       4.15      2.25       3.65      2.00
6......................................      0.12       4.55      2.25       4.05      2.25       3.55      2.00
7......................................      0.12       4.65      2.50       4.15      2.50       3.65      2.25
8......................................      0.12       6.50      3.25       6.00      3.25       5.50     3.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: M-bags are subject to the minimum rate for 11 pounds.

                                          Publishers' Periodical Rates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                         Rate group 4
                                                           Rate       Rate       Rate     (Australia,     Rate
                Weight not over (oz.),                   group 1    group 2    group 3    Japan, New    group 5
                                                         (Canada)   (Mexico)               Zealand)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.....................................................      $0.45      $0.60      $0.60         $0.60      $0.60
2.....................................................       0.51       0.75       0.71          0.71       0.74
3.....................................................       0.57       0.90       0.82          0.82       0.88

[[Page 52557]]

4.....................................................       0.63       1.05       0.93          0.93       1.02
5.....................................................       0.69       1.20       1.04          1.04       1.16
6.....................................................       0.75       1.35       1.15          1.15       1.30
7.....................................................       0.81       1.50       1.26          1.26       1.44
8.....................................................       0.87       1.65       1.37          1.37       1.58
12....................................................       1.15       2.13       1.81          1.81       2.02
16....................................................       1.43       2.61       2.25          2.25       2.46
20....................................................       1.59       3.09       2.69          2.69       2.90
24....................................................       1.75       3.57       3.13          3.13       3.34
28....................................................       1.91       4.05       3.57          3.57       3.78
32....................................................       2.07       4.53       4.01          4.01       4.22
36....................................................       3.87       5.01       4.45          4.45       4.66
40....................................................       3.99       5.49       4.89          4.89       5.10
44....................................................       4.11       5.97       5.33          5.33       5.54
48....................................................       4.23       6.45       5.77          5.77       5.98
52....................................................       4.39       6.93       6.21          6.21       6.42
56....................................................       4.55       7.41       6.65          6.65       6.86
60....................................................       4.71       7.89       7.09          7.09       7.30
64....................................................       4.87       8.37       7.53          7.53      7.74
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 $0.25 per pound discount for drop shipments tendered at the New Jersey International and Bulk Mail Center.

                           Country Rate Groups
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Rate groups
                                      ----------------------------------
               Country                                       Publishers'
                                          IPA        ISAL    periodicals
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghanistan..........................          8  .........           5
Albania..............................          5          5           5
Algeria..............................          8          8           5
Andorra..............................          3  .........           3
Angola...............................          8          8           5
Anguilla.............................          6  .........           5
Antigua and Barbuda..................          6  .........           5
Argentina............................          6          6           5
Armenia..............................          8  .........           5
Aruba................................          6          6           5
Ascension............................          5  .........           5
Australia............................          4          4           4
Austria..............................          3          3           5
Azerbaijan...........................          8  .........           5
Bahamas..............................          6  .........           5
Bahrain..............................          8          8           5
Bangladesh...........................          8          8           5
Barbados.............................          6  .........           5
Belarus..............................          5  .........           5
Belgium..............................          3          3           3
Belize...............................          6          6           5
Benin................................          8          8           5
Bermuda..............................          6  .........           5
Bhutan...............................          8  .........           5
Bolivia..............................          6          6           5
Bosnia-Herzegovina...................          5  .........           5
Botswana.............................          8  .........           5
Brazil...............................          6          6           5
British Virgin Islands...............          6  .........           5
Brunei Darussalam....................          7  .........           5
Bulgaria.............................          5          5           5
Burkina Faso.........................          8          8           5
Burma (Myanmar)......................          8  .........           5
Burundi..............................          8  .........           5
Cambodia.............................          7  .........           5
Cameroon.............................          8          8           5
Canada...............................          1          1           1
Cape Verde...........................          8  .........           5
Cayman...............................          6  .........           5

[[Page 52558]]

Central African Republic.............          8          8           5
Chad.................................          8  .........           5
Chile................................          6          6           5
China................................          7          7           5
Colombia.............................          6          6           5
Comoros Islands......................          8  .........           5
Congo (Brazzaville), Republic of the.          8  .........           5
Congo (Kinshasa), Democratic Republic          8          8           5
 of the..............................
Costa Rica...........................          6          6           5
Cod'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).............          8          8           5
Croatia..............................          5  .........           5
Cuba.................................          6          6           5
Cyprus...............................          8  .........           5
Czech Republic.......................          5          5           5
Denmark..............................          3          3           3
Djibouti.............................          8  .........           5
Dominica.............................          6  .........           5
Dominican Republic...................          6          6           5
Ecuador..............................          6          6           5
Egypt................................          8          8           5
El Salvador..........................          6          6           5
Equatorial Guinea....................          8  .........           5
Eritrea..............................          8  .........           5
Estonia..............................          5  .........           5
Ethiopia.............................          8          8           5
Falkland Islands.....................          6  .........           5
Faroe Islands........................          5  .........           3
Fiji.................................          7          7           5
Finland..............................          3          3           3
France (Includes Corsica & Monaco)...          3          3           3
French Guiana........................          6          6           5
French Polynesia (Includes Tahiti)...          7  .........           5
Gabon................................          8          8           5
Gambia...............................          8  .........           5
Georgia, Republic of.................          8  .........           5
Germany..............................          3          3           3
Ghana................................          8          8           5
Gibraltar............................          3  .........           3
Great Britain and Northern Ireland...          3          3           3
Greece...............................          3          3           3
Greenland............................          3  .........           3
Grenada..............................          6  .........           5
Guadeloupe...........................          6  .........           5
Guatemala............................          6          6           5
Guinea...............................          8  .........           5
Guinea-Bissau........................          8  .........           5
Guyana...............................          6          6           5
Haiti................................          6          6           5
Honduras.............................          6          6           5
Hong Kong............................          7          7           5
Hungary..............................          5          5           5
Iceland..............................          3          3           3
India................................          8          8           5
Indonesia (Includes East Timor)......          7          7           5
Iran.................................          8          8           5
Iraq.................................          8  .........           5
Ireland..............................          3          3           3
Israel...............................          3          3           3
Italy................................          3          3           3
Jamaica..............................          6          6           5
Japan................................          4          4           4
Jordan...............................          8          8           5
Kazakhstan...........................          8  .........           5
Kenya................................          8          8           5
Kiribati.............................          7  .........           5
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. of (North).          7  .........           5
Korea, Republic of (South)...........          7          7           5
Kuwait...............................          8          8           5

[[Page 52559]]

Kyrgyzstan...........................          5  .........           5
Laos.................................          7  .........           5
Latvia...............................          5  .........           5
Lebanon..............................          8          8           5
Lesotho..............................          8  .........           5
Liberia..............................          8  .........           5
Libya................................          8  .........           5
Liechtenstein........................          3          3           3
Lithuania............................          5  .........           5
Luxembourg...........................          3          3           3
Macao................................          5  .........           5
Macedonia, Republic of...............          5  .........           5
Madagascar...........................          8          8           5
Malawi...............................          8  .........           5
Malaysia.............................          7          7           5
Maldives.............................          8  .........           5
Mali.................................          8          8           5
Malta................................          8  .........           5
Martinique...........................          6  .........           5
Mauritania...........................          8          8           5
Mauritius............................          8          8           5
Mexico...............................          2          2           2
Moldova..............................          8  .........           5
Mongolia.............................          7  .........           5
Montserrat...........................          6  .........           5
Morocco..............................          8          8           5
Mozambique...........................          8          8           5
Namibia..............................          8  .........           5
Nauru................................          7  .........           5
Nepal................................          7  .........           5
Netherlands..........................          3          3           3
Netherlands Antilles.................          6          6           5
New Caledonia........................          7  .........           5
New Zealand..........................          4          4           4
Nicaragua............................          6          6           5
Niger................................          8          8           5
Nigeria..............................          8          8           5
Norway...............................          3          3           3
Oman.................................          8          8           5
Pakistan.............................          8          8           5
Panama...............................          6          6           5
Papua New Guinea.....................          7          7           5
Paraguay.............................          6          6           5
Peru.................................          6          6           5
Philippines..........................          7          7           5
Pitcairn Island......................          7  .........           5
Poland...............................          5          5           5
Portugal (Includes Azores & Madeira            3          3           3
 Islands)............................
Qatar................................          8          8           5
Reunion..............................          8          8           5
Romania..............................          5          5           5
Russia...............................          5          5           5
Rwanda...............................          8  .........           5
Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and              6  .........           5
 Nevis...............................
Saint Helena.........................          8  .........           5
Saint Lucia..........................          6  .........           5
Saint Pierre & Miquelon..............          6  .........           5
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.....          6  .........           5
San Marino...........................          3  .........           3
Sao Tome and Principe................          5  .........           5
Saudi Arabia.........................          8          8           5
Senegal..............................          8          8           5
Serbia-Montenegro (Yugoslavia).......          5  .........           5
Seychelles...........................          8  .........           5
Sierra Leone.........................          8  .........           5
Singapore............................          7          7           5
Slovak Republic (Slovakia)...........          5  .........           5
Slovenia.............................          5  .........           5

[[Page 52560]]

Solomon Islands......................          7  .........           5
Somalia..............................          8  .........           5
South Africa.........................          8          8           5
Spain (Includes Canary Islands)......          3          3           3
Sri Lanka............................          8          8           5
Sudan................................          8          8           5
Suriname.............................          6          6           5
Swaziland............................          8  .........           5
Sweden...............................          3          3           3
Switzerland..........................          3          3           3
Syria................................          8          8           5
Taiwan...............................          7          7           5
Tajikistan...........................          8  .........           5
Tanzania.............................          8          8           5
Thailand.............................          7          7           5
Togo.................................          8          8           5
Tonga................................          7  .........           5
Trinidad and Tobago..................          6          6           5
Tristan da Cunha.....................          8  .........           5
Tunisia..............................          8          8           5
Turkey...............................          5          5           5
Turkmenistan.........................          5  .........           5
Turks and Caicos Islands.............          6  .........           5
Tuvalu...............................          7  .........           5
Uganda...............................          8          8           5
Ukraine..............................          8  .........           5
United Arab Emirates.................          8          8           5
Uruguay..............................          6          6           5
Uzbekistan...........................          8  .........           5
Vanuatu..............................          7  .........           5
Vatican City.........................          3  .........           3
Venezuela............................          6          6           5
Vietnam..............................          7  .........           5
Wallis and Futuna Islands............          7  .........           5
Western Samoa........................          7  .........           5
Yemen................................          8          8           5
Zambia...............................          8          8           5
Zimbabwe.............................          8          8           5
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 01-25987 Filed 10-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P