Effective October 11, 2007, the Postal Service™ is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) 135 to provide additional options for mailers sending certain mailable dangerous goods. For mailers who send mailable infectious substances, we are extending the option to send these items by Express Mail International® service and Global Express Guaranteed® service in addition to registered First-Class Mail International™ service. Additionally, we are adding an option for mailers to send nonregulated materials and exempt human or animal specimens by First-Class Mail International, Priority Mail International™, Express Mail International, or Global Express Guaranteed service.
We encourage mailers to make the related changes to their mailings as soon as possible.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
1 International Mail Services
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130 Mailability
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135 Mailable Dangerous Goods
135.1 Infectious Substances
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135.12 Type of Mail
[Revise the text as follows (to include additional mailing options):]
Mailable infectious substances must be sent by registered First-Class Mail International, Express Mail International, or Global Express Guaranteed service. Nonregulated materials defined in DMM 601.10.17.3, and exempt human or animal specimens defined in DMM 601.10.17.2d, are mailable by First-Class Mail International, Priority Mail International, Express Mail International, or Global Express Guaranteed service when properly packaged as described in DMM 601.17.
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135.3 Packaging, Marking, Labeling
135.31 Category B Infectious Substances
[Revise the first sentence of the introductory paragraph as follows (to include additional mailing options):]
A material that is classified as a Category B infectious substance and that meets the definition in DMM 601.10.17.2(a)(2) must be triple-packaged as described in DMM 601.10.17.4, meeting the packaging requirements in 49 CFR 173.199, and sent by registered First-Class Mail International, Express Mail International, or Global Express Guaranteed service.***
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the IMM and also into the online version of the IMM, which can be accessed via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 10-11-07
