[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 144 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40180-40182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20164]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 20


Changes in International Special Service Fees

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to its authority under 39 U.S.C. 407, the Postal 
Service is changing fees for international special mail services to 
become effective simultaneously with changes to domestic rates and 
fees.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walter J. Grandjean, (202) 314-7256.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12:01 a.m., January 10, 1999.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Postal Service (Postal 
Service) is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). By virtue of 
that membership, the Postal Service adheres to the agreements of the 
UPU to which it is signatory. Specifically, the Universal Postal 
Convention (Convention) and the Postal Parcels Agreement (Parcels 
Agreement) contain provisions concerning the fees member countries can 
charge for special mail services.
    The Convention provides charges for nonstandard letters, return 
receipts, registered mail service, restricted delivery, and recorded 
delivery and the Parcels Agreement provides charges for insured mail 
service. The charges provided in these agreements are less than the 
Postal Service charges for the equivalent domestic service. The 
agreements authorize member countries whose internal service charges 
are higher than those that are fixed in the agreements to apply their 
domestic charges in the international service.
    The Postal Service charges international special service fees that 
are the same as the equivalent domestic special service fees to avoid 
having international fees that are less than those charged 
domestically. Accordingly, the Postal Service is adjusting the 
following international special service fees concurrently with changes 
adopted by the Governors of the Postal Service as a result of the 
recent proceedings before the Postal Rate Commission (Docket R97-1):
    A. Certificate of Mailing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Fee            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual Pieces:                                                      
  Basic service (Form 3817)...............  $0.60 (per article).        
  Firm mailing book (Form 3877)...........  0.25 (per article listed).  
  Duplicate of Form 3817 or 3877..........  0.60 (per page).            
Bulk Mailings:                                                          
  Up to 1,000 identical pieces............  3.00.                       
  Each additional 1,000 pieces............  0.40.                       
  Duplicate copy..........................  0.60.                       
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    B. Insured Mail.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Limit of indemnity                          Fee   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 Canada                                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$50..........................................................      $0.85
100..........................................................       1.80
200..........................................................       2.75
300..........................................................       3.70
400..........................................................       4.65
500..........................................................       5.60
600..........................................................       6.55
700..........................................................       7.50
730..........................................................       8.45
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 40181]]

(The insured mail fees for all countries other than Canada are 
unchanged.)
    C. Express Mail International Service.
    Fee in addition to postage, for additional Express Mail merchandise 
insurance:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Insurance coverage                           Fee            
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$0.01 to $500.00..........................  None                        
500.01 to 5,000.00........................  $0.95 for each $100 or      
                                             fraction thereof over $500.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Express Mail merchandise maximum liability: $5,000.00.
    Document reconstruction maximum liability: $500.00.
    D. Pickup Fee (for Express Mail International Service, Global 
Priority Mail, and parcel post): $8.25.
    E. Recorded Delivery: $1.40.
    F. Registered Mail.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Limit of indemnity                          Fee   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               1. Canada                                
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$100.00......................................................      $6.20
500.00.......................................................       6.75
1,000.00.....................................................       7.30
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         2. All Other Countries                         
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42.30.......................................................      $6.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    G. Return Charge for return publishers' periodicals originally 
mailed to Canada by publishers or registered news agents (see 
International Mail Manual 781.5a): The applicable surface regular 
printed matter rate that would be paid from the United States to 
Canada.
    H. Return Receipt: $1.25.
    This notice does not address charges for services that do not have 
corresponding domestic service. These charges will be addressed in a 
separate notice in conjunction with anticipated adjustments in 
international postage rates.
    The Postal Service is exempted by 39 U.S.C. 410(a) from the advance 
notice requirements of the Administration Procedure Act regarding 
proposed rulemaking (5 U.S.C. 553).

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 20

    Foreign relations, Incorporation by reference, 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 is amended as follows:

Chapter 2  Conditions for Mailing

* * * * *

211.51  EMS Merchandise Insurance

    Express Mail merchandise insurance coverage is provided against 
loss, damage, or rifling up to $500 at no additional charge. Additional 
insurance coverage above $500 may be purchased at the sender's option. 
The fee for optional Express Mail International Service merchandise 
insurance coverage is changed to $0.95 for each $100 or fraction 
thereof, up to a maximum of $5,000 per shipment. See the Individual 
Country Listings for the applicable Express Mail insurance fees.
* * * * *

212.24  Pickup Service

    On-call and scheduled pickup service is available for an added 
charge of $8.25 for each pickup stop, regardless of the number of 
pieces picked up. Only one pickup fee will be charged if domestic 
Express Mail, domestic Priority Mail, international Parcel Post, and/or 
domestic Parcel Post is also picked up at the same time. No pickup fee 
will be charged when international Express Mail is picked up during a 
delivery stop or during a scheduled stop made to collect other mail not 
subject to a pickup fee. Pickup service is provided in accordance with 
DMM D010.
* * * * *

226.83  Pickup Service

    On-call and scheduled pickup service are available for Global 
Priority Mail acceptance cities. There is a charge of $8.25 for each 
pickup stop, regardless of the number of pieces picked up. (See DMM 
D010 for standards of pickup service.) Pickup is not available for 
Global Priority Mail pieces if paid by permit imprint or claimed at the 
volume rate.
* * * * *

272.3  Pickup Service

    Scheduled pickup service is available for an added charge of $8.25 
for each pickup stop regardless of the number of pieces picked up. Only 
one pickup fee will be charged if domestic Express Mail, international 
Express Mail, domestic Priority Mail, and/or domestic Parcel Post is 
also picked up at the same time. No pickup fee will be charged when 
international Parcel Post is picked up during a delivery stop or during 
a scheduled stop made to collect other mail not subject to a pickup 
fee. Pickup service is provided in accordance with DMM D010.

Chapter 3  Special Services

* * * * *

313.1  Individual Pieces

    The fee for certificates of mailing for ordinary Postal Union mail 
and ordinary Parcel Post is $0.60 per piece, whether the item is listed 
individually on PS Form 3817, Certificate of Mailing, or on firm 
mailing bills. Additional copies of either PS Form 3817 or firm mailing 
bills are available for $0.60 per page. PS Form 3877, Firm Mailing Book 
for Accountable Mail, or forms printed at the mailer's expense may be 
used for certificates for three or more pieces of mail of any class 
presented at one time. If mailer-printed forms are used instead of PS 
Form 3877, these forms must contain, at a minimum, the same information 
as PS Form 3877. The fee is $0.25 per article listed.

313.2  Bulk Pieces

    Identical pieces of ordinary Postal Union mail that are paid for 
with regular postage stamps, precanceled stamps, or meter stamps are 
subject to the following Certificate of Mailing fees:


Up to 1,000 pieces.............................................    $3.00
For each additional 1,000 pieces or fraction...................     0.40
Duplicate copy.................................................     0.60
                                                                        

* * * * *

333.1  Registration Fee

    The Registry fee for all countries is changed to $6.00. Exception: 
See the individual country listing for Canada.
* * * * *

343  Fee

    The fee for a return receipt is $1.25, which is to be paid in 
addition to postage and other applicable charges. Return receipt 
service is available at no additional charge for Express Mail 
International Service to certain countries.

    Note: Include the weight of the return receipt when determining 
the postage for mailing the item.
* * * * *

363  Fees and Charges

* * * * *

363.1  List of Fees and Charges

* * * * *
[Replace existing text with the following]
    At the International Claims and Inquiry Office (ICIO) (see 931.21), 
when the request is sent to the foreign administration by either:

[[Page 40182]]



1. Telegraph or cable. (If this method is   Cost of telegram.....                                        Prepay.
 used, a $20 deposit must be collected                                                                          
 from the sender and held at post office                                                                        
 of inquiry. The post office will be                                                                            
 notified of the exact cost and any excess                                                                      
 must be returned to the sender.).                                                                              
2. Registered airmail letter..............  Appropriate registry                                         Prepay.
                                             fee plus postage.                                                  
                                                                                                                

* * * * *

385.3  Recorded Delivery Fee

    The recorded delivery fee is $1.40. It is an addition to postage 
and other special services fees, if applicable.
* * * * *

Chapter 7 Treatment of Inbound Mail

* * * * *

781.5a  Return Charges for Postal Union Mail

    The return charge paid by publishers or registered news agents who 
originally mailed publishers' periodicals to Canada is now the same as 
the surface postage rate for a regular printed matter item of the same 
weight mailed from the United States to Canada. See Individual Country 
Listings for fees.
    An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 20 will be published.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 98-20164 Filed 7-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P