NOTE: COMMENTS REGARDING ANY FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE MUST BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS INDICATED IN THE DOCUMENT. ANY COMMENTS ON THE RAPID INFORMATION BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM (RIBBS) ABOUT ANY FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES WILL NOT BE USED OR CONSIDERED IN THE COURSE OF ANY RULE MAKING. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== [Federal Register: July 11, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 134)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 36500-36501] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 Implementation of International Package Consignment Service AGENCY: Postal Service. ACTION: Amendment to interim rule with request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is an international mail service designed for companies sending merchandise to addresses in other countries. The service is currently available to Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom (U.K.). To use IPCS, a customer is required to mail at least 25,000 packages a year to Japan, at least 25,000 packages a year to Canada, or at least 10,000 packages a year to the U.K. This amendment provides an option for IPCS customers who meet the minimum mailing requirements to any one IPCS country of destination to enter additional packages for delivery in any other IPCS country of destination at reduced volume thresholds, specifically, 5,000 packages per year. Therefore, an existing IPCS customer who satisfies the minimum volume criteria for one destination country, has linked its information systems with the Postal Service's, and who has established transportation with the Postal Service may send additional packages to other IPCS destination countries by signing a service agreement for that destination country that commits the customer to mail at least 5,000 packages a year to other IPCS destinations of the customer's choosing. Under this option, the customer has greater flexibility to respond more easily to the market conditions in which he is competing for overseas business while allowing the Postal Service to develop a traffic base that contributes to greater economies of scale. The interim implementing regulations have been amended and are set forth below for comment and suggested revision prior to adoption in final form. DATES: The amended regulations take effect July 11, 1996. Comments must be received on or before July 25, 1996. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to International Package Consignment Service, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room EB4400, Washington, DC 20260-6500. Copies of all written comments will be available for public inspection and photocopying at the above address between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, after July 25, 1996. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Gribben at the above address. Telephone: (202) 268-3035. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is designed to more closely meet the needs of customers who send merchandise packages from the United States to multiple international addresses by simplifying the process companies use to prepare their packages for mailing and by reducing the costs those companies incur in mailing merchandise to other countries. IPCS benefits all users of the Postal Service because revenues collected contribute to fixed costs, thereby decreasing the total revenue that the Postal Service needs to recover from other services. At the same time, IPCS makes it easier and more economical for customers in the United States to export their products to international markets. Once a customer qualifies for IPCS into Japan, Canada, or the U.K. and has started mailing into one of these destination countries, then the minimum volume requirement for entry into any other country is reduced to 5,000 packages a year. To be considered qualified, customers must meet the following criteria: satisfy the minimum volume requirement for an IPCS destination country, have its information systems linked with the Postal Service's, and have transportation in place between the customer and the Postal Service. The customer must still enter into a separate service agreement for each IPCS destination country to which it wants to use IPCS, and designate the Postal Service as their carrier of choice to that IPCS destination country. Accordingly, the Postal Service hereby amends IPCS to allow qualified customers to satisfy lower minimum volumes when entering into IPCS service agreements to additional destination countries. Although 39 U.S.C. 407 does not require advance notice and opportunity for submission of comments, and the Postal Service is exempted by 39 U.S.C. 410(a) from the [[Page 36501]] advance notice requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act regarding proposed rulemaking (5 U.S.C. 553), the Postal Service invites interested persons to submit written data, views, or arguments concerning this interim rule. The Postal Service adopts the following amendments to the International Mail Manual, which is incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 20.1. List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 20 Foreign relations, Postal service. PART 20--[AMENDED] 1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 20 continues to read as follows: Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 401, 404, 407, 408. Subchapter 620--Amended 2. Subchapter 620 of the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended as follows: 6 Special Programs * * * * * 620 International Package Consignment Service * * * * * 622 Qualifying Customers To qualify, a customer must enter into a service agreement containing the commitments stipulated in 625.2 and must be able to meet the general and destination country-specific preparation requirements stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. Once a customer qualifies for IPCS and has started mailing into a destination country, then the minimum volume requirement for entry into any other country is reduced to 5,000 packages a year. To be considered qualified, customers must meet the following criteria: satisfy the minimum volume requirement for their destination country, have its information systems linked with the Postal Service's; and have transportation in place between the customer and the Postal Service. The customer must still enter into a separate service agreement for each destination country to which it wants to use IPCS and designate the Postal Service as its carrier of choice to that destination country. * * * * * 625 IPCS Service Agreements * * * * * 625.2 Required Provisions Each service agreement must contain the following: a. The customer's commitment to send at least 25,000 packages to Japan or Canada (or 10,000 to the United Kingdom) by IPCS during the next 12 months. However, once a customer enters into an IPCS agreement to one destination country and begins mailing, then that customer may enter other destination countries by committing to mail at least 5,000 packages to the other destination countries. A customer's failure to meet the original volume requirements may result in termination, by the Postal Service, of the right to mail to other destination countries. * * * * * Stanley F. Mires, Chief Counsel, Legislative. [FR Doc. 96-17600 Filed 7-10-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710-12-P