Effective August 28, 2016, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) in many places to reflect classification and standards changes to support the addition of two new customs forms and the resulting changes to existing customs forms and processes. Although effective August 28, 2016, we will incorporate these revisions into a later edition of the online IMM (the one scheduled for October 3, 2016). The online IMM is available via Postal Explorer® at http:⁄⁄pe.usps.com.
The article titled “PS Form 2976-ES: Small Customs Declaration Pouch” in Postal Bulletin 22445 (7-7-16, page 44) announced the availability of PS Form 2976-ES, Small Customs Declaration Envelope, and provided instructions for retail Post Offices™ to place orders with the Material Distribution Center (MDC).
The article titled “Ordering Instructions for PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration Form and Dispatch Note” in Postal Bulletin 22446 (7-21-16, page 6), announced the availability of PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, and provided instructions for retail Post Offices to place orders with the MDC.
Both forms were scheduled to be available starting on July 15, 2016.
PS Form 2976-ES, Small Customs Declaration Envelope, is a small plastic envelope that is designed to carry and protect the PS Form 2976-A, PS Form 2976-B, and PS Form 2976-R customs form sets when used on Priority Mail International® small Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes and other small parcels that require a customs form.
The article titled “Upcoming Changes to Customs Declaration Forms in Post Offices” in Postal Bulletin 22447 (8-4-16, page 39) explained that PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, is a multi-ply, nonbarcoded hard copy customs declaration form and worksheet for use in Postal Service retail locations. Beginning August 28, 2016, we will use PS Form 2976-R to replace the following hard copy customs declaration forms: PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration; PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note — CP 72; and PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping Label and Customs Form. A customer will fill out PS Form 2976-R and provide the handwritten form and the package to an employee at a Postal Service retail service counter, and the employee will then enter the data into Retail Systems Software (RSS) or Customs Form Online and print out the correct customs form and postage.
Using PS Form 2976-R to print the customs form at retail will affect the workflow for purchasing additional merchandise insurance and Registered Mail™ service, and those changes are noted in this IMM revision.
As the Postal Service is in the process of ending the use of only the hard copy versions of PS Forms 2976, 2976-A, and 2976-B, customers can still submit electronically generated PS Forms 2976, 2976-A, and 2976-B. Although the Postal Service will have a “grace period” during which customers can still submit hard copy versions of PS Forms 2976, 2976-A, and 2976-B, the Postal Service encourages mailers to implement the new procedure immediately — i.e., either submit electronically generated PS Forms 2976, 2976-A, and 2976-B, or complete PS Form 2976-R and submit it to an employee at a Postal Service retail service counter. We will publish an article in the Postal Bulletin when the grace period ends.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual
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1 International Mail Services
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120 Preparation for Mailing
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122 Addressing
122.1 Destination Address
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[Add a second sentence to item a. to read as follows:]
a. ***If the mail item requires a customs declaration form, mailers may use an electronically generated combined customs form and shipping label.
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123 Customs Forms and Online Shipping Labels
123.1 USPS-Produced Customs Declaration Forms
123.11 General
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[Revise the first sentence to read as follows, (noting that there are now four customs forms):]
As required under 123.6, only four customs declaration forms are used for international mail: ***
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[Add a new item d. to read as follows:]
d. PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note. This form is available only as a hard copy that customers use as a worksheet that they must present with their mail item at a USPS retail service counter. The retail associate enters the information into the retail system or Customs Form Online (see 123.742), and then generates and prints the appropriate customs form to affix to the mail item. Customers cannot use PS Form 2976-R as a standalone customs form.
[Revise the last paragraph to read as follows:]
PS Form 2976-E, Customs Declaration Envelope — CP 91, is a plastic envelope that is used to carry and protect the PS Form 2976-A, PS Form 2976-B, and PS Form 2976-R customs form sets (see 123.75). PS Form 2976-ES, Small Customs Declaration Envelope, is a small plastic envelope that is used to carry and protect the PS Form 2976-A, PS Form 2976-B, and PS Form 2976-R customs form sets used with Priority Mail International small Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes and other small parcels that require a customs form.
123.12 Authorized Editions
[Revise the first paragraph to read as follows:]
The current edition of PS Form 2976 is July 2013; the current edition of PS Form 2976-A is July 2013; the current (and only) edition of PS Form 2976-B is July 2013; and the current (and only) edition of PS Form 2976-R is April 2016.
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123.2 Availability
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, is available without charge at Post Office facilities. Mailers may request a reasonable supply for mail preparation; however, mailers must induct their prepared mailpieces only at a USPS retail service counter. Customs declaration forms are available through an online customs form application at https:⁄⁄www.usps.com⁄international⁄customs-forms.htm.
123.3 Privately Printed Forms
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123.32 Required Electronic Transmission of Customs Declaration Information
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
For an item bearing a privately printed customs form under 123.31, a mailer must electronically transmit customs declaration information by using USPS-produced Global Shipping Software (GSS), Shipping Services File 1.7 or higher, or other USPS-approved software.***
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123.6 Required Usage
123.61 Conditions
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[Revise item a. to read as follows:]
a. Except as provided in 123.62, mailers use the hard copy PS Form 2976-R and present it at a USPS retail service counter, or use an electronic PS Form 2976, PS Form 2976-A, or PS Form 2976-B as described in Exhibit 123.61.***
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123.7 Completing Customs Forms
123.71 PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration
123.711 Sender’s Preparation of PS Form 2976
[Revise the section in its entirety to read as follows:]
An image of PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration, is available at http:⁄⁄about.usps.com⁄forms⁄ps2976.pdf. Before mailing, the sender must fulfill any nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5 and must ensure that the electronically generated PS Form 2976 is complete.
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123.72 PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note — CP 72
123.721 Sender’s Preparation of PS Form 2976-A
[Revise the section in its entirety to read as follows:]
An image of PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note — CP 72, is available at http:⁄⁄about.usps.com⁄forms⁄ps2976a.pdf. Before mailing, the sender must fulfill any nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5 and must ensure that the electronically generated PS Form 2976-A is complete.
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123.73 PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping Label and Customs Form
123.731 Sender’s Preparation of PS Form 2976-B
[Revise the section in its entirety to read as follows:]
An image of PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping Label and Customs Form, is available at http:⁄⁄about.usps.com⁄forms⁄ps2976b.pdf. Before mailing, the sender must fulfill any nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5 and must ensure that the electronically generated PS Form 2976-B is complete.
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[Delete the current 123.74 and insert a new 123.74 to read as follows:]
123.74 PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note
123.741 Sender’s Preparation of PS Form 2976-R
An image of PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, is available at http:⁄⁄about.usps.com⁄forms⁄ps2976r.pdf. Before mailing, the sender must fulfill any nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5 and must complete PS Form 2976-R according to the instructions on the form.
123.742 Postal Service Employee’s Acceptance of PS Form 2976-R
The Postal Service acceptance employee must do the following when accepting PS Form 2976-R from the sender:
a. Verify that the sender has entered the information on the form and has signed and dated the declaration. If the sender’s address is on the mailpiece, it must match the sender’s address on PS Form 2976-R.
b. Instruct the sender to complete any incomplete portions of the forms. Remind the sender that failure to complete the form properly can delay delivery of the item or inconvenience the sender and addressee. Moreover, a false, misleading, or incomplete declaration can result in the seizure or return of the item and⁄or in criminal or civil penalties. The Postal Service assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information that the sender enters on PS Form 2976-R.
c. To comply with U.S. Census Bureau requirements, it is the sender’s responsibility to ensure that an appropriate AES ITN, AES Exemption, or AES Downtime Citation is displayed on PS Form 2976-R. If this information is not entered, remind the customer that he or she may be subject to civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance.
d. If the sender wishes to purchase additional merchandise insurance for the contents, the retail associate records the insured amount in U.S. dollars on PS Form 2976-R in the space provided.
e. Weigh the parcel, enter the weight in block (6), and enter the applicable amount of postage and fees in the appropriate block in the upper right corner of the form.
f. For offices with retail systems, enter the mailpiece information from PS Form 2976-R into the Customs and Border Protection Manifest (CBPMAN) application. For manual offices, enter the mailpiece information from PS Form 2976-R into the Customs Form Online application.
Note: When using the CBPMAN Bypass option, enter the data from PS Form 2976-R into CBPMAN using POS ONE or an ACE computer by close of business that same day, which is considered to be 2 a.m. Eastern time (11 p.m. Pacific time).
g. Print the electronically generated combined customs declaration and shipping label from the retail system or online application.
h. Apply the electronically generated barcoded labels to Copies 1–4 of PS Form 2976-R in the designated section in the top left-hand corner of each copy.
i. Remove and store (per local requirements) the Post Office Copy (Copy 3) and tell the mailer that the Postal Service will retain this document for 30 days as a record of mailing. Remove the Sender’s Copy (Copy 4) and give it to the sender.
j. After the retail printer prints PS Form 2976, 2976-A, or 2976-B, insert completed Copy 1 and Copy 2 of PS Form 2976-R and all other required documents, such as a commercial invoice, into PS Form 2976-E (plastic envelope) and affix PS Form 2976-E to the address side of the package. Do not wrap it around the package. For parcels that are too small to accommodate PS Form 2976-E, use PS Form 2976-ES.
k. Affix the electronically generated PS Form 2976, 2976-A, or 2976-B on the face of the mailpiece (on top of PS Form 2976-E or PS Form 2976-ES) and present it to the customer to review. The customer must sign the electronically generated form.
l. Round stamp any uncanceled stamps.
Note: Consistent with 225.12, 235.12, 245.12, and 255.12, the customer must present any item bearing a handwritten PS Form 2976-R to an employee at a Post Office retail service counter.
[Insert a new 123.75 to read as follows:]
123.75 PS Form 2976-E, Customs Declaration Envelope — CP 91, and PS Form 2976-ES, Small Customs Form Envelope
PS Form 2976-E is a transparent plastic envelope designed to carry and protect PS Forms 2976-A, 2976-B, and 2976-R customs form sets. After completing the applicable customs form, the mailer inserts the form set into PS Form 2976-E, removes the backing sheet, and affixes it to the package on the address side. The current edition of PS Form 2976-E is July 2013; however, the mailer may use older editions.
PS Form 2976-ES is a smaller version of PS Form 2976-E. It is designed to fit on Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Envelopes and Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes and other small parcels. After completing the applicable customs form, the mailer folds PS Form 2976-R and inserts it into PS Form 2976-ES so that the barcode is visible on the left, removes the backing sheet, and affixes it to the package on the address side. The current edition of PS Form 2976-ES is April 2016.
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2 Conditions of Mailing
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220 Priority Mail Express International
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222 Eligibility
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222.4 Customs Forms Required
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
The mailer electronically generates PS Form 2976-B (if specified in the Individual Country Listing) or completes PS Form 2976-R and, if applicable, must fulfill any other nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5. See 224 for additional information. For a mailer using an electronically generated PS Form 2976-B that electronically transmits customs-related data, or an online combined shipping label and customs form that electronically transmits customs-related data, no additional customs form is required because customs information is incorporated into the form that the mailer must complete.
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224 Mail Preparation
224.1 Preparation by Sender
224.11 Using PS-Form 2976-B
[Revise the text to read as follows:]
Before mailing, the sender must fulfill any nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5 and fills out PS Form 2976-R as described in 123.74 or uses an electronically generated PS Form 2976-B as a combined customs form and shipping label as described in 123.73.
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224.2 Preparation by Acceptance Employee
[Revise the title and text to read as follows:]
224.21 Using PS Form 2976-R
Employees must follow the instructions in 123.742 to verify a sender’s PS Form 2976-R and to generate PS Form 2976-B.
Note: Consistent with 225.12, the sender must present any item bearing a handwritten PS Form 2976-R to an employee at a Post Office retail service counter.
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225 Mail Entry and Deposit
225.1 Place of Mailing
225.11 Items Eligible for Deposit or Pickup
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[Delete the note in its entirety.]
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225.3 Package Pickup Service
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
Subject to the standards in 225.1, no pickup fee is charged when a Priority Mail Express International item or items are picked up during a letter carrier’s regular delivery stop or during a scheduled stop made to collect other mail not subject to a pickup fee.***
230 Priority Mail International
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234 Mail Preparation
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234.3 Customs Documentation
[Revise the text to read as follows]
Mailers complete the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or electronically generate PS Form 2976-A, and if applicable, must fulfill any other nonpostal export requirements described in Chapter 5.
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235 Mail Entry and Deposit
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235.3 Package Pickup Service
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
Subject to the standards in 235.1, no pickup fee will be charged when a Priority Mail International item or items are picked up during a letter carrier’s regular delivery stop or during a scheduled stop made to collect other mail not subject to a pickup fee.***
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250 First-Class Package International Service
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255 Mail Entry and Deposit
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255.4 Package Pickup Service
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
Subject to the standards in 255.1, no pickup fee will be charged when a First-Class Package International Service item or items are picked up during a letter carrier’s regular delivery stop or during a scheduled stop made to collect other mail not subject to a pickup fee.***
260 Direct Sacks of Printed Matter to One Addressee (M-bags)
261 Description
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261.2 Eligibility
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261.22 Other Articles
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[Revise item e. to read as follows:]
e. The M-bag must be accompanied by a fully completed electronically generated PS Form 2976, which is to be affixed to PS Tag 158.
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264 Mail Preparation
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264.3 Customs Forms Required
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
M-bags must be accompanied by a fully completed electronically generated PS Form 2976, which is to be affixed to PS Tag 158.***
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270 Free Matter for the Blind
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272 Eligibility
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272.4 Customs Forms Required
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
When required (see Exhibit 123.61), the mailer must affix a fully completed electronically generated PS Form 2976 or 2976-A to each item.***
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290 Commercial Services
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292 International Priority Airmail (IPA) Service
292.1 Description
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292.13 IPA M-Bags
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292.132 IPA M-bags — Customs Forms
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
IPA M-bags always require a fully completed electronically generated PS Form 2976, which is to be affixed to PS Tag 158.***
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293 International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) Service
293.1 Description
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293.13 ISAL M-bags
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293.132 ISAL M-bags — Customs Forms
[Revise the first sentence to read as follows:]
ISAL M-bags always require a fully completed electronically generated PS Form 2976, which is to be affixed to PS Tag 158.***
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3 Extra Services
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320 Insurance
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323 Priority Mail International Insurance
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323.5 Insured Value and Indemnity Claims
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323.52 Indemnity Claims and Payments
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[Revise item b. to read as follows:]
b. The sender’s copy of the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or an electronically generated PS Form 2976-A.
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323.6 Preparation of Insured Priority Mail International Parcels
323.61 Mailing Receipt and Insurance Number
[Revise the second sentence to read as follows:]
***The mailing receipt issued at the time of mailing, accompanied by either the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or an electronically generated PS Form 2976-A, will serve as proof of mailing and proof of insurance.***
323.62 Accepting Clerk’s Responsibility
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
When a customer has purchased additional insurance, the accepting clerk must indicate on the hard copy PS Form 2976-R the amount for which the parcel is insured by writing the amount in U.S. dollars in ink in the “Insured Value (U.S. $)” block. After using the information on PS Form 2976-R to electronically generate PS Form 2976-A, the accepting clerk must write a bold capital “V” in or near the boxes “Insured Amount (US $)” and “Insurance Fees (US $)” on PS Form 2976-A.
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330 Registered Mail
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334 Processing Requests
334.1 Mailing Receipt and Registration Number
334.11 General Use
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
The Postal Service issues a receipt when it accepts a Registered Mail item. For individual transactions, use PS Form 3806, Receipt for Registered Mail. When presenting three or more items for registration at one time, the mailer may use PS Form 3877, Firm Mailing Book for Accountable Mail (see DMM 503). The registered number is determined by the barcode printed on the customs form and the accepting clerk applies a nonbarcoded Label 200-N, Registered Mail, to the mailpiece. For items that do not require a customs form, the accepting clerk applies Label 200, Registered Mail, a preprinted self-adhesive label with a number series of nine digits preceded by a Service Type Code of two alpha characters and followed by the two-character Country Code “US.” Only labels printed by the Postal Service may be used on international Registered Mail items.
334.12 Sender’s Responsibility
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[Revise item b. to read as follows:]
b. Declare the full value of mail presented for registration. The value declared must be identical to the value stated on the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or on an electronically generated PS Form 2976. If the values declared are not identical, the Postal Service will refuse the items. (See 123.711.)
* * * * *
334.13 Accepting Clerk’s Responsibility
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
The accepting clerk must:
a. Verify that the value declared on PS Form 3806 and the value declared on the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or an electronically generated PS Form 2976 are identical. Refuse items on which the declared values are not the same.
b. For items that require a customs form, affix Label 200-N to the item on the address side — in the upper left, below the return address. For items that do not require a customs form, affix Label 200.
c. If requested by the sender, show on the mailing receipt and on the Post Office record the time the item was accepted for mailing.
d. On the receipt, the system will print the registration fee and postage plus the return receipt fee, if applicable.
e. When federal government official mail is registered pursuant to 142.1, endorse the mailing receipt “OFFICIAL PAID” or “OFF. PD.”
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334.2 Marking
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[Revise item a. to read as follows:]
a. Affix Label 200-N or Label 200 as noted in 334.13b. All Registered Mail items of U.S. origin must bear Label 200-N or Label 200.
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5 Nonpostal Export Regulations
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520 Foreign Trade Regulations — U.S. Census Bureau
521 General
[Revise the second sentence to read as follows:]
***In certain circumstances, customers are responsible for entering information on the hard copy PS Form 2976-R or on an electronically generated PS Form 2976 or 2976-A.
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527 Placement of ITN, AES Downtime Citation, or AES Exemption
[Revise the text in its entirety to read as follows:]
When a shipment requires an ITN, AES Downtime Citation, or AES Exemption, it is the customer’s responsibility to legibly write or enter the ITN, AES Downtime Citation, or AES Exemption on the applicable customs declaration form as follows:
a. On PS Form 2976-R, USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note, the customer must write one ITN or AES Downtime Citation in block 13, or note the applicable AES Exemption in block 14.
b. When entering data into an online application to electronically generate a customs form, the customer must enter one ITN, AES Downtime Citation, or applicable AES Exemption in the AES⁄ITN⁄Exemption field.
c. On hard copy PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration, PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note — CP 72, or PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping Label and Customs Form, the customer must follow the instructions on the form to select or fill in the correct ITN, AES Downtime Citation, or applicable AES Exemption.
d. On PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN 22 — Sender’s Declaration, if the customer is sending informational materials to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria as described in 526.2d, the customer must enter “NOEEI § 30.37(y).”
Note regarding Cuba: Consumer communications devices, computers, and software (CCD) items sent to Cuba require an electronic filing when not included as a gift parcel — see the Individual Country Listing for Cuba for information regarding CCD items. A customer using a hard copy PS Form 2976 to ship CCD items to Cuba must (1) completely obliterate the check boxes and text referring to NOEEI § 30.37(a) and NOEEI § 30.37(h), and (2) write in one ITN or AES Downtime Citation.
e. On editions of the Global Express Guaranteed Air Waybill⁄Shipping Invoice (shipping label, Item 11FGG1) printed before August 2008, the customer must write “NOEEI 30.37(a)” next to the sender’s signature. Current versions of Item 11FGG1 have this AES Exemption included on the mailing label.
Note: These standards also apply to mailers who produce privately printed customs forms under 123.3.
530 Commodities and Technical Data
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533 Additional Standards
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533.3 Mailer and USPS Responsibilities for Completing and Processing Forms
533.31 Mailer Responsibilities
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[Add a new item a. and redesignate and revise current items a. and b. as items b. and c. to read as follows:]
a. On PS Form 2976-R, the mailer must include an ITN or AES Downtime Citation (see 520) in block 13 and a license number in block 15.
b. When entering data into an online application to electronically generate a customs form, the mailer must include an ITN or applicable AES Exemption (see 520) in the AES⁄ITN⁄Exemption field and a license number in the Invoice⁄License⁄Certificate No(s) field.
c. On a hard copy PS Form 2976-A or hard copy PS Form 2976-B, the customer must follow the instructions on the form to fill in an ITN or AES Downtime Citation (see 520) and a license number in the designated blocks.
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540 Munitions (Defense Articles) and Related Technical Data
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542 Mailing Under Individual Licenses
542.1 Marking by Sender
[Revise the third sentence to read as follows:]
***In addition, the sender must record the license number in block 15 of PS Form 2976-R or in the appropriate block or field of PS Form 2976-A.
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560 Export of Rough Diamonds
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562 Mailing
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[Revise item g. to read as follows:]
g. The mailer must place the ITN on the upper right corner of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme certificate document and in the appropriate block or field of PS Form 2976-A.
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Although effective August 28, 2016, we will incorporate these revisions into a later edition of the online IMM (the one scheduled for October 3, 2016). The online IMM is available via Postal Explorer® at http:⁄⁄pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Marketing and Sales, 8-18-16
