On August 17, 2017, the Postal Service™ revised Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, to provide new mailing standards for mailpieces containing lithium batteries. The Postal Service detailed these revisions in Postal Bulletin 22474 (8-17-17, pages 4–12), and announced a transitional period until January 1, 2018. During the transitional period, we urged mailers to comply with the new mailing standards immediately; however, mailers have until January 1, 2018, before compliance is mandatory.
On February 22, 2017, the Postal Service published its first notice of these revisions in the Federal Register, including an invitation to comment in the notice (82 FR 11372). This was followed by a Federal Register notice titled “Revision to Mailing Standards for Lithium Batteries,” published on July 26, 2017 (82 FR 34712-34715).
Relating to the August 17, 2017, mailing standards, the Postal Service made the applicable revisions to the online Publication 52 on December 8, 2017. The online Publication 52 now accurately reflects the new requirements for mailing lithium batteries.
Effective December 31, 2017, the optional compliance period concludes; beginning January 1, 2018, the new mailing standards become mandatory.
The Postal Service will prohibit:
n UN3480 lithium-ion and lithium polymer batteries, batteries shipped separately from the equipment they are intended to operate, in USPS® air-eligible products.
The Postal Service will permit:
n Mailers to send UN3480 batteries, meeting current USPS capacity limitations and quantity restrictions, via air-eligible products; provided these mailings are both mailed from, and delivered within, the state of Alaska.
n The optional use of previously authorized lithium battery marks during the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA’s) transitional period for these marks, which ends on December 31, 2018.
n The use of padded and poly bags as outer packaging only for mailpieces containing button cell batteries properly installed in the equipment they are intended to operate; provided the batteries meet the USPS classification criteria for a button cell battery in 349.11(d) of Publication 52, and the batteries are afforded adequate protection by the equipment.
n The introduction of a new lithium battery consignment definition intended to refer to one or more mailpieces containing lithium batteries, entered into USPS networks by one mailer or mail service provider within a single mailing or retail transaction; or included in the same manifest or shipping services file, and intended for delivery to a single consignee at a single destination address.
The Postal Service will require:
n Eliminating the current text marking option for mailpieces required to bear, or optionally permitted to bear, lithium battery markings under Publication 52, and using DOT-approved lithium battery marks instead.
n A separate “prohibited on passenger aircraft” text marking, in addition to a DOT-approved lithium battery mark, for mailpieces containing UN3480 and UN3090 batteries, which generally restricts these batteries to surface transportation only.
n The outer packaging of mailpieces containing small lithium batteries to be rigid and of adequate size, so the lithium battery mark can be affixed on the address side without the mark being folded.
n The placement of lithium battery marks on the address side of all mailpieces bearing these marks.
n DOT-approved lithium battery markings on all mailpieces with lithium cells or batteries contained in equipment when there are more than two mailpieces in a single consignment in domestic mail.
n Limiting single consignments to two mailpieces containing lithium batteries in international and APO/FPO/DPO mail.
Unless provided with a written authorization from the manager, Product Classification, all lithium battery mailers must meet these new standards beginning on January 1, 2018. Mailers who obtain an authorization must produce a copy of their authorization to each acceptance location with their first mailing after December 31, 2017. The authorization letter must detail the nature of their authorization and provide an expiration date.
We ask employees to familiarize themselves with the new mailing standards before the mandatory compliance date, and ensure their local mailers are aware of the new requirements as soon as possible.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 12-21-17
