Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

Manuals

DMM Revision: Deposit of APO, FPO, DPO, and U.S. Territory Mailpieces Bearing a Customs Declaration — Update

Effective April 5, 2010, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 503.9.2.4, 503.10.2.3, 608.2.4, and 703.2.3 to authorize additional deposit options for items that bear a customs declaration when mailed to APO, FPO, DPO destinations, and to U.S. territo­ries, possessions, and Freely Associated States.

Recent enhancements by authorized PC Postage® pro­viders now allow registered end-users to generate a com­bined shipping, postage, and customs declaration label, which also bears an electronic round date. These enhance­ments will provide mailers additional options and greater flexibility for depositing mailpieces bearing a customs dec­laration when mailed to an APO, FPO, DPO destination, or to a U.S. territory, possession, or Freely Associated State.

Additionally, we will revise the tables in DMM 503.9.2.4 and 503.10.2.3 to be consistent with the new table format showing the U.S. territories, possessions, and Freely Asso­ciated States in 608.2.4. All three tables now consist of four columns which include the ZIP™ Code destination, the two-letter state abbreviation, the city name, and the full name of the U.S. territory, possession, or Freely Associated State.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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500 Additional Mailing Services

503 Extra Services

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9.0 Delivery Confirmation

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9.2 Basic Information

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9.2.4 Ineligible Matter

Delivery Confirmation is not available for the following:

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g. Mail addressed to ZIP Codes in the following U.S. territories, possessions, or Freely Associated States:

[Revise table in 9.2.4g as follows:]

 

ZIP Code

Two-Letter State Abbreviation

City

Territory, Possession, or Freely Associated State

96939

PW

Palau

Palau

96940

PW

Palau

Palau

96941

FM

Pohnpei

Federated States of Micronesia

96942

FM

Chuuk

Federated States of Micronesia

96943

FM

Yap

Federated States of Micronesia

96944

FM

Kosrae

Federated States of Micronesia

96952

MP

Tinian

Northern Mariana Islands

96960

MH

Majuro

Marshall Islands

96970

MH

Ebeye

Marshall Islands

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10.0 Signature Confirmation

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10.2 Basic Information

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10.2.3 Ineligible Matter

Signature Confirmation is not available for the following:

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f. Mail addressed to ZIP Codes in the following U.S. territories, possessions, or Freely Associated States:

[Revise table in 10.2.3f as follows:]

 

ZIP Code

Two-Letter State Abbreviation

City

Territory, Possession, or Freely Associated State

96939

PW

Palau

Palau

96940

PW

Palau

Palau

96941

FM

Pohnpei

Federated States of Micronesia

96942

FM

Chuuk

Federated States of Micronesia

96943

FM

Yap

Federated States of Micronesia

96944

FM

Kosrae

Federated States of Micronesia

96952

MP

Tinian

Northern Mariana Islands

96960

MH

Majuro

Marshall Islands

96970

MH

Ebeye

Marshall Islands

600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services

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608 Postal Information and Resources

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2.0 Domestic Mail

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2.4 Customs Forms Required

2.4.1 Priority Mail Weighing 16 Ounces or More

[Revise 608.2.4.1 as follows:]

Regardless of contents, all Priority Mail weighing 16 ounces or more sent from the United States to the ZIP Code desti­nations listed in the table below, and all Priority Mail sent from these ZIP Code destinations to the United States, must bear a properly completed PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note CP 72. If PS Form 2976-A will not fit on the address side of the mailpiece, a PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22, must be used.

 

ZIP Code

Two-Letter State Abbreviation

City

Territory, Possession or Freely Associated State

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 & 96940

PW

Palau

Palau

96941

FM

Pohnpei

Federated States of Micronesia

96942

FM

Chuuk

Federated States of Micronesia

96943

FM

Yap

Federated States of Micronesia

96944

FM

Kosrae

Federated States of Micronesia

96952

MP

Tinian

Northern Mariana Islands

96960

MH

Majuro

Marshall Islands

96970

MH

Ebeye

Marshall Islands

[Redesignate current 2.4.2 as new 2.4.4, and insert new 2.4.2 and 2.4.3 as follows:]

2.4.2 Enter and Deposit—Items Requiring a Completed Customs Declaration

Except as provided in 2.4.3, a mailer may not deposit an item that requires a completed customs declaration into a collection box, Postal Service lobby drop, Automated Postal Center (APC) drop, customer mailbox, or at a Postal Service dock or other unattended location. In addition, these mailpieces are precluded from Pickup on Demand service and Carrier Pickup service under 507.6. Customers must present such items to an employee at a Post Office retail service counter. The Postal Service will return improp­erly presented items to the sender for proper entry and acceptance.

2.4.3 Items Bearing a Completed Customs Declaration With an Electronic Round Date

Items under 2.4.1 that have the mailing label, customs dec­laration (including an electronic round date), and postage prepared and paid online through an authorized PC Post­age vendor Web site may be deposited only as follows:

a. At a Postal Service retail counter.

b. Through Pickup on Demand service.

c. Through Carrier Pickup service.

d. Into a Postal Service lobby drop.

e. Into an Automated Postal Center (APC) drop.

f. In a U.S. Postal Service collection box.

g. In the mailing customer’s residential or business mailbox.

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700 Special Standards

703 Nonprofit Standard Mail and Other Unique Eligibility

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2.0 Overseas Military Mail

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2.3 General Restrictions

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[Revise heading and text of 703.2.3.6 and add new 2.3.7 through 2.3.9 as follows:]

2.3.6 Customs DeclarationsWhen Required

Except as provided in 2.3.7, any mailpiece weighing 16 ounces or more that is addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO destination ZIP Code must bear a customs declaration PS Form 2976 or 2976-A, as shown in the “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail” section of the Postal Bulletin.

2.3.7 Customs DeclarationsExceptions

The following exceptions to the customs declaration requirement are provided for items addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO destination ZIP Code:

a. Known mailers are exempt from providing customs documentation on nondutiable letters and printed matter weighing 16 ounces or more. A known mailer is a business mailer who enters volume mailings through a business mail entry unit (BMEU) or other bulk mail acceptance location, pays postage through an advance deposit account, uses a permit imprint for postage payment, and submits a completed post­age statement at the time of entry that certifies the mailpieces contain no dangerous materials that are prohibited by postal regulations.

b. All federal, state, and local government agencies whose mailings are regarded as “Official Mail” are ex­empt from providing customs documentation on mail addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO except for those APOs/FPO/DPOs to which restriction “B2” applies as required in the Restriction Legend of the “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail” section of the Postal Bulle­tin.

c. Prepaid mail from military contractors is exempt, pro­viding the mailpiece is endorsed “Contents for Offi­cial Use — Exempt from Customs Requirements.”

2.3.8 Enter and Deposit—Items Requiring a Completed Customs Declaration

Except as provided in 2.3.9, a mailer may not deposit an item that requires a completed customs declaration into a collection box, Postal Service lobby drop, Automated Postal Center (APC) drop, customer mailbox, or at a Postal Service dock or other unattended location. In addition, these mailpieces are precluded from Pickup on Demand service and Carrier Pickup service under 507.6. Customers must present such items to an employee at a Post Office retail service counter. The Postal Service will return improp­erly presented items to the sender for proper entry and acceptance.

2.3.9 Items Bearing a Completed Customs Declaration With an Electronic Round Date

Items sent to APO, FPO, or DPO addresses that have the mailing label, customs declaration (including an electronic round date), and postage prepared and paid online through the an authorized PC Postage vendor Web site may be deposited only as follows:

a. At a Postal Service retail counter.

b. Through Pickup on Demand service.

c. Through Carrier Pickup service.

d. Into a Postal Service lobby drop.

e. Into an Automated Postal Center (APC) drop.

f. In a U.S. Postal Service collection box.

g. In the mailing customer’s residential or business mailbox.

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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the DMM and into the monthly update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.