[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9231-9233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3446]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


New Customs Declarations Label Requirements

AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is revising the Mailing Standards of the 
United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 
608.2.4 to require all mailpieces containing goods that enter the 
Customs Territory of the United States (CTUS), from outside the CTUS, 
to bear a customs declaration label. Additionally, the Postal Service 
updates the standards for items weighing 16 ounces or more when sent 
to, from, or between, and in some circumstances, within certain U.S. 
territories, possessions, and Freely Associated States.

DATES: Effective Date: June 6, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Klutts at 813-877-0372.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with the Code of Federal 
Regulations, Title 19, Part 145--U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security, the Postal Service will require that 
all mailpieces containing goods that enter the CTUS, from outside the 
CTUS, to bear a customs declaration label. In addition, to ensure 
compliance with safety and security requirements of the United States 
Postal Inspection Service[supreg], we are updating our standards for 
items weighing 16 ounces or more (regardless

[[Page 9232]]

of contents) when sent to, from, between, and, in some circumstances, 
within American Samoa, Guam, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, 
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Definitions and Requirements for Items Sent to the CTUS

    As defined in 19 CFR 101.1 and General Note 2 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States, the CTUS includes only the 50 
states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
    U.S. territories, possessions, and Freely Associated States under 
DMM 608.2.4 are considered ``domestic'' insofar as United States mail 
is sent to, from, or between these destinations; nonetheless, these 
destinations are outside the CTUS. As such, and consistent with 19 CFR 
145.11, a clear and complete customs declaration label that describes 
the contents and value for the enclosed merchandise (that is, goods, or 
contents other than documents) must be secured to the mailpiece for 
each shipment when sent from a foreign post office. For the purpose of 
these new standards, ``foreign post offices'' include those in the 
following locations:
    <bullet> American Samoa
    <bullet> Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
    <bullet> Federated States of Micronesia
    <bullet> Guam
    <bullet> Palau
    <bullet> Republic of the Marshall Islands
    <bullet> U.S. Virgin Islands
    These revisions ensure compliance with regulations of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection.

Updated Standards for Items Weighing 16 Ounces or More

    Current DMM standards require a customs declaration label for 
Priority Mail[supreg] items weighing 16 ounces or more when sent from 
the United States to American Samoa, Guam, Palau, the Federated States 
of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
the Marshall Islands, and when such items are sent to the United States 
from those locations. We are updating these standards to encompass the 
Package Services and Periodicals mail classes and to extend this 
requirement when items are sent between, and in some circumstances, 
within certain U.S. territories, possessions, and Freely Associated 
States. This update also clarifies that the same customs declaration 
requirements are applicable for mail sent to these destinations from 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    These revisions ensure compliance with safety and security 
requirements of the Postal Inspection Service and other federal 
agencies.
    The Postal Service adopts the following changes to Mailing 
Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual 
(DMM), which is incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal 
Regulations. See 39 CFR 111.1.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.

    Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is amended as follows:

PART 111--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 
3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633, and 5001.


0
2. Revise the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United 
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), as follows:
* * * * *

600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services

* * * * *

608 Postal Information and Resources

* * * * *

2.0 Domestic Mail

* * * * *

2.4 Customs Forms Required

[Revise the title and text of 2.4.1 as follows:]
2.4.1 Items Weighing 16 Ounces or More
    Except for items sent via Express Mail, or Priority Mail combined 
with Registered Mail service, any mailpiece (regardless of contents) 
weighing 16 ounces or more must bear a properly completed PS Form 2976, 
Customs Declaration CN 22, or, if the customer prefers, a PS Form 2976-
A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note--CP 72, when the item is:
    a. Sent from the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin 
Islands to the ZIP Code destinations listed in the table below.
    b. Sent from the ZIP Code destinations listed in the table below to 
the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    c. Sent between two different destinations listed in the 
``Territory, Possession, or Freely Associated States'' column in the 
table below.
    d. Sent within American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands. This standard does not apply to items sent within 
Guam or Palau.

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                                          Two-letter state
              ZIP code                      abbreviation                    City                   Territory, possession, or freely associated state
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96799...............................  AS                        Pago Pago...................  American Samoa.
96910...............................  GU                        Hagatna.....................  Guam.
96912...............................  GU                        Dededo......................  Guam.
96913...............................  GU                        Barrigada...................  Guam.
96915...............................  GU                        Santa Rita..................  Guam.
96916...............................  GU                        Merizo......................  Guam.
96917...............................  GU                        Inarajan....................  Guam.
96919...............................  GU                        Agana Heights...............  Guam.
96921...............................  GU                        Barrigada...................  Guam.
96923...............................  GU                        Mangilao....................  Guam.
96928...............................  GU                        Agat........................  Guam.
96929...............................  GU                        Yigo........................  Guam.
96931...............................  GU                        Tamuning....................  Guam.
96932...............................  GU                        Hagatna.....................  Guam.
96939...............................  PW                        Palau.......................  Palau.
96940...............................
96941...............................  FM                        Pohnpei.....................  Federated States of Micronesia.

[[Page 9233]]

 
96942...............................  FM                        Chuuk.......................  Federated States of Micronesia.
96943...............................  FM                        Yap.........................  Federated States of Micronesia.
96944...............................  FM                        Kosrae......................  Federated States of Micronesia.
96950...............................  MP                        Saipan......................  Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
96951...............................  MP                        Rota........................  Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
96952...............................  MP                        Tinian......................  Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
96960...............................  MH                        Majuro......................  Republic of the Marshall Islands.
96970...............................  MH                        Ebeye.......................  Republic of the Marshall Islands.
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 [Renumber current items 2.4.2 through 2.4.4 as 2.4.5 through 2.4.7 and 
insert new 2.4.2 through 2.4.4 as follows:]
2.4.2 Items Containing Goods
    Regardless of mail class or weight, items containing goods (i.e., 
contents other than documents; see IMM 123.63 for ``document'' 
eligibility) must bear a properly completed PS Form 2976, Customs 
Declaration CN 22, or, if the customer prefers, a PS Form 2976-A, 
Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note--CP 72, when the items are sent 
to the United States or Puerto Rico from the ZIP Code destinations 
listed in the table in 2.4.1, or from the U.S. Virgin Islands..
2.4.3 Improperly Prepared Items
    Mailpieces deposited without a properly completed customs form 
under 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 will be returned to the sender.
2.4.4 Overseas Military Mail
    For determining customs declarations' required usage when mailing 
to or from APO, FPO, or DPO addresses, see 703.2.3.6 through 703.2.3.8.
* * * * *
    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes.

Neva R. Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 2011-3446 Filed 2-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P