Effective November 4, 2024, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 705.18.2.2, to clarify Postal Service standards for hazardous materials enclosed in Priority Mail Express® and Priority Mail® Open-and-Distribute containers.
The Postal Service is revising section 705.18.2.2 to clarify that mail enclosed in a Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail Open-and-Distribute container may only contain hazardous materials that are eligible at Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail prices.
Although the Postal Service will not publish this revision in the DMM until November 4, 2024, these standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
* * * * *
18.0 Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute
* * * * *
18.2 Basic Standards
* * * * *
18.2.2 Content Standards
[Revise the text of 18.2.2 to read as follows:]
The Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail shipment and the enclosed mail must meet all corresponding eligibility and preparation standards. (See 210 for Priority Mail Express standards and 220 for Priority Mail standards.) Additional standards for the enclosed mail are as follows:
a. Customers mailing mail enclosed in a Priority Mail Express Open-and-Distribute container may only add the extra services described in 18.3.2. Customers mailing mail enclosed in a Priority Mail Open-and-Distribute container may only add the extra services described in 18.4.2.
b. Mailpieces requiring cancellation may not be included in a Priority Mail Express Open-and-Distribute or a Priority Mail Open-and-Distribute shipment.
c. Mailers are not required to place bundles of mail in sacks or trays when all of the mail enclosed in an Open-and-Distribute sack is destined to a 5-digit facility and the Open-and-Distribute sack weighs at least 5 pounds.
d. Mail enclosed in a Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail Open-and-Distribute container may only contain hazardous materials that are eligible at Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail prices.
* * * * *
The Postal Service will publish this revision in the next online edition of the DMM, which is available on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Product Solutions, 9-19-24
