Effective May 11, 2009, the Postal Service™ is revising the Administrative Support Manual (ASM), parts 213 and 274, to properly identify international mail categories sealed and not sealed against inspection. These revisions will align the ASM with the revised standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) and revisions to definitions found at 39 C.F.R. 233 that are also implemented on June 1, 2009.
Administrative Support Manual (ASM)
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2 Audits and Investigations
21 General
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213 Mail Covers
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213.3 Definitions
The following definitions apply to mail covers:
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[Revise items c and d as follows:]
c. Sealed mail is mail which under postal laws and regulations is included within a class of mail maintained by the Postal Service for the transmission of letters sealed against inspection. Sealed mail includes the following:
1. First-Class Mail® items.
2. Priority Mail® items.
3. Express Mail® items.
4. Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG®) items that contain only documents.
5. Express Mail International® items.
6. Priority Mail International™ flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.
7. First-Class Mail International items.
8. International Priority Airmail™ (IPA®) items, excluding IPA M-bags.
9. International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) items, excluding ISAL M-bags.
10. Global Bulk Economy (GBE) items, excluding M–bags.
11. Certain Global Direct™ (GD) mail. Refer to the customer’s specific USPS® International Customized Mail (ICM) agreement for determination.
12. International transit mail.
d. Unsealed mail is mail that under postal laws or regulations is not included within a class of mail maintained by the Postal Service for the transmission of letters sealed against inspection. Unsealed mail includes the following:
1. Periodicals items.
2. Standard Mail items.
3. Package Services (including Parcel Select®) items.
4. Incidental First-Class Mail attachments or enclosures mailed under DMM 703.9.
5. GXG items that contain nondocuments.
6. Priority Mail International items except the flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.
7. M-bags.
8. Items sent via “Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Person” under 39 U.S.C. §§ 3403–06 and IMM 270.
9. Certain GD mail. Refer to the customer’s specific USPS ICM agreement for determination.
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27 Security
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274 Mail Security
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274.2 Opening, Searching, and Reading Mail Generally Prohibited
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274.23 Definitions
274.231 Mail Sealed Against Inspection
The following terms and definitions apply:
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[Revise item b as follows:]
b. The terms include the following:
1. First-Class Mail items.
2. Priority Mail items.
3. Express Mail items.
4. GXG items that contain only documents.
5. Express Mail International items.
6. Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box.
7. First-Class Mail International items.
8. IPA items, excluding IPA M-bags.
9. ISAL items, excluding ISAL M-bags.
10. GBE items, excluding M–bags.
11. Certain GD mail. Refer to the customer’s specific USPS ICM agreement for determination.
12. International transit mail.
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274.232 Mail Not Sealed Against Inspection
The following terms and definitions apply:
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[Revise item b as follows:]
b. The terms include the following:
1. Periodicals items.
2. Standard Mail items.
3. Package Services (including Parcel Select) items.
4. Incidental First-Class Mail attachments or enclosures mailed under DMM 703.9.
5. GXG mailpieces containing nondocuments.
6. Priority Mail International items except for flat-rate envelopes and small flat-rate boxes.
7. M-bags.
8. Items sent via “Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons” under 39 U.S.C. §§ 3403–06 and IMM 270.
9. Certain GD mail. Refer to the customer’s specific USPS ICM agreement for determination.
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the ASM and also into the online update, available on the Postal Service™ PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left hand column under “Essential Links,” click PolicyNet.
n On the PolicyNet page, click Manuals.
The direct, URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Mailing Standards,
Pricing, 5-7-09
