Effective August 28, 2016, the Postal Service™ revised the Administrative Support Manual (ASM), parts 213 and 274, to properly identify international mail categories sealed and not sealed against inspection. These changes make the ASM consistent with changes to standards in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®), and to definitions in 39 CFR 233. The IMM changes are also effective August 28, 2016.
Administrative Support Manual (ASM)
* * * * *
2 Audits and Investigations
* * * * *
21 General
* * * * *
213 Mail Covers
* * * * *
213.3 Definitions
* * * * *
[Revise items c. and d. to read as follows:]
c. Sealed mail is mail that 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. Priority Mail Express® items.
4. Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG®) items that contain only documents.
5. Priority Mail Express International® items.
6. Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International® items.
7. Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Package International Service® 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. 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® (Commercial and Nonprofit) items.
3. Package Services items.
4. Incidental First-Class Mail® attachments or enclosures mailed under DMM 703.9.
5. Parcel Select® items.
6. Parcel Return Service items.
7. First-Class Package Service® items.
8. USPS Retail Ground items.
9. GXG® items that contain nondocuments.
10. Outbound Priority Mail International® items.
11. International Direct Sacks — M-bags.
12. Items sent via “Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Person” under 39 U.S.C. §§ 3403 and “Free Matter for the Blind” under IMM 270.
* * * * *
274.23 Definitions
274.231 Mail Sealed Against Inspection
* * * * *
[Revise item b. to read as follows:]
b. The terms include the following:
1. First-Class Mail® items.
2. Priority Mail® items.
3. Priority Mail Express® items.
4. GXG® items that contain only documents.
5. Priority Mail Express International® items.
6. Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Package International Service® items.
7. Outbound Single-Piece 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. International transit mail.
* * * * *
274.232 Mail Not Sealed Against Inspection
* * * * *
[Revise item b. to read as follows:]
b. The terms include the following:
1. Periodicals items.
2. Standard Mail® (Commercial and Nonprofit) items.
3. Package Services items.
4. Incidental First-Class Mail® attachments or enclosures mailed under DMM 703.9.
5. Parcel Select® items.
6. Parcel Return Service items.
7. First-Class Package Service® items.
8. USPS Retail Ground items.
9. GXG® items that contain nondocuments.
10. Outbound Priority Mail International® items.
11. International Direct Sacks — M-bags.
12. Items sent via “Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons” under 39 U.S.C. §§ 3403 and “Free Matter for the Blind” under IMM 270.
* * * * *
We will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of the Administrative Support Manual (ASM), which is 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 Click Manuals.
The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.
— Office of Counsel,
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 10-13-16
