Effective September 10, 2018, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 703.2.0, to clarify the exceptions for customs declarations for any mailpiece addressed to an Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) ZIP Code™.
Specifically, the Postal Service will revise sections 703.2.3.6, 703.2.3.7, and 703.2.3.8 to remove the “known mailer” exception for military contractors and clarify that, subject to specific conditions, “known mailers” are not required to use customs declarations on mailpieces addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO ZIP Code location.
At the same time, the Postal Service will clarify the “known mailer” exceptions in the Restrictions section of Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail and in the Customs Declaration article for the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual.
Although the Postal Service will not publish these revisions in the DMM until September 10, 2018, the standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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700 Special Standards
703 Nonprofit USPS Marketing Mail and Other Unique Eligibility
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2.0 Overseas Military and Diplomatic Post Office Mail
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2.3 General Restrictions
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2.3.6 Customs Declarations
[Revise the first sentence of 2.3.6 to read as follows:]
Except as provided in 2.3.8, a hard copy or electronically generated PS Form 2976, PS Form 2976-A, or PS Form 2976-B must be applied to mailpieces sent to or from APO, FPO, and DPO addresses as required in the “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail” section of the Postal Bulletin.***
2.3.7 Customs Declarations — Required Usage
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[Revise the text of items a. and b. to read as follows:]
a. Except as provided in 2.3.8, Priority Mail Express mailpieces addressed to or from an APO, FPO, or DPO location must bear a properly completed PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping Label and Customs Form, regardless of weight, value, or contents.
b. Except as provided in 2.3.7a and 2.3.8, all other mailpieces addressed to or from an APO, FPO, or DPO location must bear a properly completed PS Form 2976, Customs Declaration CN22, or, if the customer prefers, a PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note – CP 72, if either of the following conditions apply:
1. The mailpiece weighs 16 ounces or more (regardless of its contents, value, shape, or mail class).
2. The mailpiece contains goods (regardless of its weight, shape, value, or mail class).
2.3.8 Customs Declarations — Exceptions
[Revise the text of 2.3.8 to read as follows:]
The following exceptions to the customs declaration requirement are provided for items addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO destination ZIP Code, and mailed by “known mailers” subject to meeting specific conditions:
a. Known mailers are:
1. Business mailers who enter volume mailings through a business mail entry unit or other bulk mail acceptance location, pay postage through an advance deposit account, use a permit imprint for postage payment, and submit a completed postage statement at the time of entry that certifies the mailpieces contain no dangerous materials that are prohibited by postal regulations. Business mailers are exempt from providing customs documentation on non-dutiable letters, and printed matter weighing 16 ounces or more.
2. Federal, state, and local government agencies whose mailings are regarded as “Official Mail,” are exempt from providing customs documentation on mail addressed to APO, FPO, or DPO ZIP Codes except for those APO, FPO, and DPO locations to which restriction “B2” applies as required in the Restriction Legend of the “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail” section of the Postal Bulletin.
b. Conditions:
1. The mailpieces must not require an export license as described in IMM 510, 520, 530, or 540.
2. The mailpieces must not contain dangerous or prohibited items under IMM 135 or 136, or be otherwise prohibited by the destination country.
3. The mailpieces cannot be destined to an E:1 country listed in 15 CFR 740, Supp. 2.
4. The mailpieces cannot contain any items listed in the Commerce Control List (15 CFR 774) or the U.S. Munitions List (22 CFR 121).
The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next online update of the DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com/.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 7-19-18
