Effective January 18, 2009, the Postal Service™ is revising Publication 51, International Postal Prices and Fees, to reflect changes to the prices and product features for the following shipping services:
We are implementing this international price change concurrent with our domestic shipping services price change. On average, the following prices for shipping services will increase accordingly: GXG — 11.2 percent; Express Mail International — 8.5 percent; Priority Mail International — 8.5 percent; and Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to One Addressee (Airmail M-Bags) — 8 percent. The total international price increase is approximately 8.5 percent.
The number of country price groups for Express Mail International and Priority Mail International services is expanded from nine to ten country price groups. New country Price Group 10 is established for items sent to Australia and New Zealand.
Priority Mail International service is expanded by adding a new small flat-rate box. The small flat-rate box follows the same mailing standards as the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope.
Commercial base pricing for GXG, Express Mail International, and Priority Mail International services is expanded to include qualifying end-user customers who pay postage using information-based indicia (IBI) postage meters and electronically transmit customs forms. IBI is a digitally generated indicium that includes a two-dimensional barcode.
For more information on prices and product features that will be effective January 18, 2009, see Postal Bulletin 22247 (12-4-08), starting on page 75.
Publication 51, International Postal Prices and Fees
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Categories of International Mail
Global Express Guaranteed (GXG)
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[Revise the third paragraph as follows:]
Customers who pay for GXG postage online through Click-N-Ship service, through an authorized PC Postage vendor, or by using information-based indicia (IBI) meters and electronically transmit customs forms will pay 10 percent less than retail postage prices.
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Express Mail International
[Revise the first paragraph by adding a third sentence as follows:]
***It also features a flat-rate envelope.
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[In the seventh paragraph, revise the first sentence as follows:]
Customers who pay for Express Mail International postage online through Click-N-Ship service, through an authorized PC Postage vendor, or by using information-based indicia (IBI) meters and electronically transmit customs forms will pay 8 percent less than retail postage prices.***
[Before the final paragraph of the section, add a new heading and paragraph as follows:]
Flat-Rate Envelope
There is a flat-rate envelope option — $25.95 to Canada and Mexico, and $27.95 to all other countries. Mailers are eligible for the flat-rate envelope only with the use of a USPS-produced flat-rate envelope. The contents must fit securely in the envelope and be confined within the envelope with the provided adhesive as the means of closure.
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Priority Mail International
[Revise the first paragraph as follows:]
Priority Mail International service is an airmail parcel service that provides customers with a reliable and economical means of sending parcels. It also features a flat-rate envelope and flat-rate boxes.
[In the second paragraph, revise the second sentence as follows:]
***Except for the flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box, Priority Mail International service is designed to accommodate larger and heavier shipments whose size or weight exceed the established limitations for First-Class Mail International items.***
[In the third paragraph, revise the third sentence as follows:]
***Customers who pay for Priority Mail International postage online through Click-N-Ship service, through an authorized PC Postage vendor, or by using information-based indicia (IBI) meters and electronically transmit the customs form will pay 5 percent below retail postage prices.***
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[Revise the heading and text for the flat-rate envelope section as follows:]
Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box
There are options for a flat-rate envelope and a small flat-rate box, and the prices are $10.95 to Canada and Mexico and $12.95 to all other countries. There is a 4-pound weight limit for the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.
Correspondence, business documents, and printed matter may be mailed in the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box (the small box is identified by the words “Small Flat Rate Box” printed on the packaging, and it is used interchangeably for domestic or international mailings). Flat-rate items receive priority handling within the Postal Service and the postal service of the destination country. Only USPS-produced flat-rate envelopes and small flat-rate boxes are eligible for the flat-rate price. When sealing a flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.
Table 3b contains the postage prices for the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.
[Revise the heading for the flat-rate boxes section and the text of the first paragraph as follows:]
Regular and Large Flat-Rate Boxes
Priority Mail International service has two additional flat-rate box options — regular and large. The regular flat-rate box has a price of $25.95 to Canada and Mexico, and $41.95 to all other countries; the large flat-rate box has a price of $32.95 to Canada and Mexico, and $53.95 to all other countries (the large box is identified by the words “Large Flat Rate Box” printed on the packaging). Both boxes are used interchangeably for domestic or international mailings.
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First-Class Mail International
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Postcards
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[In the second paragraph, revise the sentence by deleting the word “destination” as follows:]
Table 5 contains the postage prices for postcards, which are $0.72 to Canada and Mexico and $0.94 to all other countries.
[Revise the heading for the M-bag section and the text of the introductory paragraph as follows:]
Airmail M-bags (Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to a Single Addressee)
M-bags are defined as direct sacks of printed matter to a single foreign addressee. There are three types of M-bags: Airmail, International Priority Airmail (IPA) (see IMM 292 for additional details), and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) (see IMM 293 for additional details). Airmail M-bags are subject to the following conditions of mailing:
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International Commercial Services
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International Surface Air Lift (ISAL)
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[Revise the second paragraph as follows:]
Qualifying mailings may be entered at Postal Service business mail entry units (BMEUs) or at other locally designated bulk mail acceptance locations.
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Extra Services
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Priority Mail International Insurance
[In the first paragraph, revise the second and third sentences as follows:]
***Insurance coverage is not available for First-Class Mail International items. Insurance is not available for the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box.
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Indemnity Coverage
[Revise the first and last sentences as follows:]
Indemnity coverage is provided for ordinary (i.e., uninsured) Priority Mail International parcels except the small flat-rate box.***When international insured service is purchased, it replaces the indemnity coverage provided on ordinary Priority Mail International parcels except the small flat-rate box.
Registered Mail
[In the second paragraph, revise the second sentence as follows:]
***It is available for the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.***
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Customs Declarations
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Customs Form Usage
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Priority Mail International Parcels
[Revise the last sentence as follows:]
***The Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box follow the customs guidelines for First-Class Mail International service.
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Price Tables
Table 1: Global Express Guaranteed (GXG)
[Replace the current GXG price table with the new price table.]
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Table 2a: Express Mail International
[Replace the current Express Mail International price table with the new price table.]
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Table 2b: Express Mail International Flat-Rate Envelope
[Add introductory text for the flat-rate envelope and revise the prices as follows:]
May contain any item not prohibited in international mail.
Table 3a: Priority Mail International
[Revise the introductory paragraph as follows:]
Merchandise is permitted. Written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted in Priority Mail International parcels, but are permitted in Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes and small flat-rate boxes.
[Replace the current Priority Mail International price table with the new price table.]
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[Revise the title of Table 3b as follows:]
Table 3b: Priority Mail International — Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box
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[Revise the price table as follows:]
[Revise the title, text, and table of 3c as follows:]
Table 3c: Priority Mail International – Regular and Large Flat-Rate Boxes
Merchandise is permitted. Written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted in Priority Mail International parcels but are permitted in Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes and small flat-rate boxes. The maximum weight for a regular or large flat-rate box is 20 pounds or the limit set by the individual country, whichever is less.
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[Revise the title of Table 6, including a marker for new Footnote 1, and update the price table as follows:]
Table 6: Airmail M-bags1
[Add a new Footnote 1 as follows (revising previous Footnotes 1 and 2 to be 2 and 3, respectively):]
1 For International Priority Airmail (IPA) and International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) M-bags, including full service and International Service Center (ISC) drop shipment prices, see IMM 292 (IPA) and IMM 293 (ISAL).
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[Revise Footnote 3 as follows:]
3 Price Groups: 1 is for Canada; 2 is for Mexico; for price groups 3–9, see the “FCM/M-Bag Price Group” column in the Country Listing.
Country Listing
[Revise the text of the first paragraph as follows:]
In the column headings, “GXG” indicates Global Express Guaranteed, “Express” indicates Express Mail International, “Priority” indicates Priority Mail International, “FCM” indicates First-Class Mail International, and “M-Bag” indicates Airmail M-bags.
[In the table, revise the last column heading as follows, and revise the entries for Australia and New Zealand as follows (indicating that they are in Price Group 10 for both Express Mail International and Priority Mail International):]
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[Revise the fourth footnote as follows:]
4. Bolivia: Priority Mail International package services to Bolivia are suspended. The Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box (maximum weight: 4 lbs. each) may be used.
[Revise the introductory text and first bullet of the fifth footnote as follows:]
5. Cuba: The following standards pertain to Cuba:
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We will incorporate this revision into the next printed version of Publication 51 and into the monthly update of the online Publication 51, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 12-18-08
