WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service was recognized recently by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) with a 2010 Silver Award for outstanding international express mail service. The Postal Service was rated in five categories, including on-time delivery and customer service response time.

In addition to demonstrating outstanding customer service in international express mail, the U.S. Postal Service also is demonstrating outstanding growth in revenue from its international products, according to Giselle Valera, vice president, Global Business. U.S. Postal Service revenue from international mailing and shipping products has seen a 12.3 percent year-on-year increase so far in the first three quarters of the 2011 fiscal year.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized by the UPU for our efforts, and it’s wonderful to be recognized by consumers and businesses who are increasingly using the Postal Service for their international mailing and shipping needs,” said Valera.

With 191 member countries, the UPU — a specialized agency of the United Nations — is the primary forum for international cooperation between postal organizations. It sets rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail and parcels. Established in 1874, the UPU is the second oldest international organization worldwide and is headquartered in Berne, Switzerland.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.