1    description of business

Nature of Operations
The United States Postal Service (Postal Service) provides mail service to the public, offering a variety of classes of mail services without discrimination among its many customers. This means that within each class of mail our price does not vary by customer for the levels of service we provide. This fulfills our legal mandate to offer universal services at a fair price. Our primary lines of business are First- Class Mail, Standard Mail, Priority Mail, Periodicals and Package Services. The principal markets for these services are the communications, distribution and delivery, advertising and retail markets. Our products are distributed through our more than 37,000 Post Offices and a large network of consignees. As in the past, we continue to conduct our significant operations primarily in the domestic market, with international operations representing less than 3% of total revenue.

Our labor force is primarily represented by the American Postal Workers Union, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Postal Mail Handlers Union and National Rural Letter Carriers Association. Almost 90% of our career employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. The agreements with the major unions expire between November 20, 2004 and November 20, 2006.

Postal Reorganization
The Postal Service commenced operations on July 1, 1971, in accordance with the provisions of the Postal Reorganization Act (the Act). The equity that the U.S. government held in the former Post Office Department became the initial capital of the Postal Service. The Postal Service valued the assets of the former Post Office Department at original cost less accumulated depreciation. The initial transfer of assets, including property, equipment and cash, totaled $1.7 billion. Subsequent cash contributions and transfers of assets between 1973 and 1982 totaled approximately $1.3 billion, resulting in total government contributions of approximately $3 billion. The U.S. government remained responsible for all the liabilities attributable to operations of the former Post Office Department. However, under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the remaining liability for Post Office Department workers' compensation costs was transferred to the Postal Service.

Although the Postal Service is excluded from the U.S. government budgetary process, the Postal Service enters into significant transactions with other government agencies, as disclosed throughout these financial statements.

Price Setting Process
Since 1971, the Act has required the Postal Service to establish prices that cover the costs of operating the postal system. The Act established the independent Postal Rate Commission with oversight responsibility for mail prices, subject to approval by the Governors of the Postal Service. The Act provides for the recovery of financial losses through future rate increases.

2    summary of significant
      accounting policies

Basis of Accounting and Use of Estimates
We maintain our accounting records and prepare our financial statements on the accrual basis of accounting. This basis conforms to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Following these principles, we made estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts we report in the financial statements and notes. Actual results may differ from our estimates.

Cash Equivalents
Cash equivalents are securities that mature within 90 days or less from the date we buy them. We recognize checks outstanding as a current liability until presented for payment.

Current Values of Financial Instruments
The current value of our debt is what it would cost to pay off the debt if we used the current yield on equivalent U.S. Treasury debt.

We have foreign currency risk related to the settlement of terminal dues and transit fees with foreign postal administrations for international mail. The majority of our international accounts are denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The SDR exchange rate fluctuates daily based on a basket of currencies comprised of the euro, Japanese yen, the pound sterling and the U.S. dollar. Changes in the relative value of these currencies will increase or decrease the value of our settlement accounts and