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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 Implementation of International Package Consignment Service AGENCY: Postal Service. ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is an international mail service designed for companies sending merchandise to other countries. The service was previously available only to Japan. Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K.) are now being added as additional destination countries. The countries that are included in the United Kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands. To use IPCS, a customer is required to mail at least 25,000 packages a year to Canada, or at least 10,000 packages a year to the U.K., and agree to link its information systems with the Postal Service's so that the Postal Service can extract certain information about the contents of the customer's packages for customs clearance and other purposes. Initially, two levels of service to Canada and three levels of service to the U.K. will be offered to customers. Interim regulations have been developed and are set forth below for comment and suggested revision prior to adoption in final form. DATES: The interim regulations take effect March 28, 1996. Comments must be received on or before May 31, 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 May 31, 1996. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Opiela (Canada) at the above address. Telephone: (202) 268-3860. Tim Gribben (United Kingdom) at the above address. Telephone: (202) 268-3035. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction One of the most important goals of the Postal Service's international mission is the development of services that enhance the ability of U.S. companies to do business in other countries. This responsibility was delineated in 39 U.S.C. 403(b)(2) which makes it the [[Page 13766]] obligation of the Postal Service ``to provide types of mail service to meet the needs of different categories of mail and mail users.'' IPCS is designed to more closely meet the needs of customers who send merchandise packages from the United States to multiple international addressees 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. In late 1994, implementation of IPCS to Japan (59 FR 65961 December 22, 1994), the Postal Service announced that, when feasible, it would expand the service to other destination countries based on customer requests. The Postal Service hereby expands IPCS by adding Canada and the United Kingdom as destination countries for qualifying customers. II. IPCS to Canada and the United Kingdom A. Qualifying Criteria A customer who wants to use IPCS to Canada or to the U.K. will be required to enter into a service agreement with the Postal Service providing for the following. First, the customer must commit to mail at least 25,000 packages a year to Canada, or 10,000 packages a year to the U.K. Second, the customer must designate the Postal Service as its carrier of choice to Canada or the U.K. Third, the customer must agree to link its information systems with the Postal Service's so that the Postal Service and the customer can exchange data transmissions concerning the customer's packages, and the Postal Service can extract, on an as-needed basis, certain information about the package by scanning the customer-provided barcode on each package. In general, the information that must be made available to the Postal Service includes: the order number; the package identification number; the buyer's name and address; the recipient's name and address; the total weight of the package; the total value of the package contents; the number of items in the package; and, for each item in the package, its SKU number, its value, and its country of origin. In practice, this requirement means that the customer will have to begin the necessary systems work by the time it begins using IPCS, and then will have to assist the Postal Service in completing and maintaining the information systems linkages. The Postal Service will use the extracted information to prepare the necessary customs forms and package labels, to accept the customer's mail and verify postage payment automatically, and to provide user-friendly tracking and tracing. In addition to these required commitments, which must appear in all IPCS service agreements, arrangements between the Postal Service and the customer that are technical in nature also may appear in the IPCS service agreement. For instance, the service agreement may describe the electronic data interface (EDI) or proprietary file format that will be used to transmit data between the customer and the Postal Service, as well as the frequency and schedule of transmissions. Similarly, the service agreement may describe the formats and frequencies for any exception and performance reports that the Postal Service will provide to the customer. B. Processing and Acceptance Because of efficiencies created by the Postal Service's ability to process all IPCS mail to Canada or the U.K. at a facility designed for that purpose, as well as general operational and managerial considerations, the Postal Service has determined that, in general, all IPCS mail to Canada or the U.K. should be processed at, and dispatched from, a dedicated IPCS facility. If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is located within 500 miles of an IPCS Processing Facility, the Postal Service will verify and accept the packages at the customer's plant and transport them to the processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. If the customer's plant is located more than 500 miles from the processing facility, two options are available. In Option One, the customer must present the packages to the Postal Service for verification at the customer's plant and transport them as a drop shipment to an IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Option Two allows customers to avoid transporting the packages to an IPCS Processing Facility by performing some of the package processing that the Postal Service would otherwise perform. With this option, the Postal Service will provide one or more specially-designed computer workstations to be installed at the customer's plant. The computer workstation(s) and USPS-developed software will be integrated with the customer's order processing data system and will be operated by the customer's employees. As individual orders are processed for shipment, this workstation will prepare and generate all required customs declarations and international mail dispatch tags and forms. Since the workstation(s) is (are) integrated into the process, and may even replace other customer functions, no increase is anticipated in order processing and mail preparation time. When the mail is ready for dispatch, it will be verified and accepted on site by USPS personnel and transported by the Postal Service to a designated Air Exchange Office or directly to an entry point for forwarding and delivery according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Under Option Two, the customer saves the cost of transporting the packages to an IPCS Processing Facility, and the Postal Service saves the cost of processing and sorting individual packages. C. Customs Forms Normally, all necessary Canadian and U.K. customs forms will be automatically generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed to Canada or the U.K. through an IPCS facility will not be required to bear customs forms when they are tendered to the Postal Service. The Postal Service will verify, accept, and transport these packages to a designated IPCS processing facility. After scanning the customer-printed barcode on each package and correlating it with the package-specific information transmitted by the customer, the Postal Service will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to the customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS Processing Facility. However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, customers may be required to prepare the necessary customs forms on their own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering them to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer workstations are located at the customer's plant and operated by customer employees, the USPS computer workstations will print the customs forms, and the customer will be required to affix these forms to the appropriate packages as instructed by [[Page 13767]] the Postal Service prior to verification and acceptance of the mail. D. Customs Clearance The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System (CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically advises the USPS delivery agent and customs of the contents of each package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before the mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through Canadian or U.K. customs and reduces costs for the customer and the Postal Service. To use CPAS, recipients of merchandise must designate the Postal Service and its customs broker as their agents for customs clearance. E. Delivery Options (1) Canada The Postal Service will initially offer two delivery options to Canada. The two options initially available will be Air Courier Service and Ground Courier Service. The weight limit for packages under both options will be 66 pounds, and both options will provide tracking and tracing. Air Courier Service will be the fastest option. The Postal Service will transport Air Courier Service packages from the customer's plant or from the designated IPCS processing facility to Canada overnight where they will receive expeditious customs clearance and be released to the delivery agent. From there, the packages will receive courier service throughout Canada and be delivered to major population centers overnight. Normal delivery times will be two to three days from dispatch from the customer's plant to final delivery. Insurance up to $500 is included at no additional cost. Ground Courier Service will offer overnight transportation to Canada and ground transportation to final destination in Canada. Ground Courier Service will receive the same expeditious customs clearance as Air Courier Service and normal delivery times for 95 percent of all Canadian addresses will be three to six days after dispatch from the customer's plant, depending on the location of final destination. (For addresses in the Maritimes and extreme northern territories where distance and poor roads affect transportation, delivery times could be as long as eight days.) Insurance will be available at an additional cost. The Postal Service intends to develop and test a third delivery option for possible implementation at a later date. This third option, if successfully tested and implemented, will offer reduced rates, without tracking and tracing, but with proof of delivery provided. The Postal Service requests comments from customers regarding the need for the third option. (2) United Kingdom The Postal Service will offer three levels of service to the U.K. Premium, Standard, and Economy. The weight limit for all three delivery options is 66 pounds, the maximum length is 60 inches, and the maximum length and girth combined is 108 inches. Premium Service will be the fastest option and will provide tracking and tracing and insurance up to $500 at no additional cost. The Postal Service will transport Premium packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business on the third working day. Standard Service will be the next fastest delivery option and will provide tracking and tracing and insurance up to $500 at no additional cost. The Postal Service will transport Standard packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business on the fourth working day. Economy Service will be the slowest delivery option and will provide tracking and tracing to the point of entry into the U.K's. domestic mail stream. Insurance will be available at an additional cost. The Postal Service will transport Economy packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should clear customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business on the fifth or sixth working day. F. Rates (1) Canada The base rates for the two delivery options currently available for Canada are set forth below. These rates may be reduced by one or more of the three annual discounts, depending on how many packages the customer mails to Canada through IPCS in a twelve month period. For each delivery option, the Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer during a 12-month period. Once the customer has mailed 100,000 packages, postage for the customer's next 400,000 packages will be discounted by 3 percent from the base rates. Packages mailed through either of the two delivery options will count toward the customer meeting the 100,000 package threshold. Once the customer has mailed 500,000 packages during a 12-month period, postage for the customer's next 500,000 packages will be discounted at 4 percent from the prior tier discounted schedule. Finally, a third level of Discount at 5 percent will apply for all packages mailed in excess of 1 million during the 12-month period. Again, packages mailed through either of the two delivery options will count toward the customer's meeting the 500,000 and 1,000,000 package thresholds. International Package Consignment Service to Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Base rates < 100k Volume discounts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pounds 101k-500k 3.00% 501k-1m 4.00% >1m 5.00% Air Ground ----------------------------------------------------------- Air Ground Air Ground Air Ground ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1............................. 10.15 8.55 9.85 8.29 9.45 7.96 8.98 7.56 2............................. 11.09 9.37 10.76 9.09 10.33 8.72 9.81 8.29 3............................. 12.74 10.92 12.36 10.60 11.86 10.17 11.27 9.66 4............................. 14.38 11.93 13.95 11.57 13.39 11.10 12.73 10.55 5............................. 16.03 12.95 15.55 12.56 14.93 12.06 14.18 11.46 [[Page 13768]] 6............................. 17.55 13.98 17.03 13.56 16.35 13.02 15.53 12.37 7............................. 19.19 14.93 18.61 14.48 17.87 13.90 16.98 13.20 8............................. 20.83 15.85 20.20 15.38 19.39 14.76 18.42 14.03 9............................. 22.46 16.80 21.79 16.29 20.92 15.64 19.87 14.86 10............................ 24.10 17.72 23.37 17.19 22.44 16.51 21.32 15.68 11............................ 25.55 18.55 24.78 17.99 23.79 17.27 22.60 16.41 12............................ 27.17 19.49 26.36 18.91 25.30 18.15 24.04 17.25 13............................ 28.81 20.45 27.95 19.84 26.83 19.05 25.49 18.09 14............................ 30.44 21.40 29.52 20.76 28.34 19.93 26.92 18.93 15............................ 32.06 22.36 31.10 21.69 29.85 20.82 28.36 19.78 16............................ 33.68 23.86 32.67 23.14 31.37 22.21 29.80 21.10 17............................ 35.32 24.84 34.26 24.09 32.89 23.13 31.25 21.97 18............................ 36.95 25.81 35.84 25.03 34.40 24.03 32.68 22.83 19............................ 38.57 26.99 37.41 26.18 35.92 25.14 34.12 23.88 20............................ 40.19 27.97 38.99 27.13 37.43 26.05 35.56 24.74 21............................ 41.53 28.74 40.29 27.88 38.68 26.76 36.74 25.43 22............................ 43.15 29.71 41.85 28.82 40.18 27.67 38.17 26.28 23............................ 44.76 30.69 43.42 29.77 41.68 28.58 39.59 27.15 24............................ 46.37 31.66 44.98 30.71 43.18 29.48 41.02 28.01 25............................ 48.00 32.65 46.56 31.67 44.69 30.40 42.46 28.88 26............................ 49.61 33.61 48.12 32.61 46.20 31.30 43.89 29.74 27............................ 50.85 34.60 49.32 33.56 47.35 32.22 44.98 30.61 28............................ 52.83 35.57 51.25 34.50 49.20 33.12 46.74 31.46 29............................ 54.46 36.55 52.83 35.45 50.71 34.03 48.18 32.33 30............................ 56.07 37.52 54.39 36.39 52.21 34.94 49.60 33.19 31............................ 57.27 38.21 55.55 37.06 53.33 35.58 50.66 33.80 32............................ 58.87 39.17 57.10 37.99 54.82 36.47 52.08 34.65 33............................ 60.49 40.14 58.67 38.94 56.32 37.38 53.51 35.51 34............................ 62.09 41.11 60.22 39.87 57.81 38.28 54.92 36.36 35............................ 63.69 42.08 61.78 40.82 59.31 39.19 56.34 37.23 36............................ 65.29 43.04 63.33 41.75 60.80 40.08 57.76 38.08 37............................ 66.90 44.02 64.90 42.70 62.30 40.99 59.18 38.94 38............................ 68.50 45.33 66.45 43.97 63.79 42.21 60.60 40.10 39............................ 70.10 46.49 68.00 45.09 65.28 43.29 62.02 41.12 40............................ 71.70 47.64 69.55 46.21 66.77 44.36 63.43 42.14 41............................ 72.79 48.26 70.60 46.81 67.78 44.94 64.39 42.69 42............................ 74.38 49.23 72.15 47.75 69.26 45.84 65.80 43.55 43............................ 75.97 50.21 73.69 48.71 70.74 46.76 67.20 44.42 44............................ 77.56 51.57 75.23 50.03 72.22 48.02 68.61 45.62 45............................ 79.16 52.56 76.78 50.99 73.71 48.95 70.03 46.50 46............................ 80.16 53.13 77.75 51.54 74.64 49.48 70.91 47.00 47............................ 81.74 54.94 79.28 53.29 76.11 51.16 72.31 48.60 48............................ 83.31 56.77 80.81 55.06 77.58 52.86 73.70 50.22 49............................ 84.78 58.64 82.24 56.88 78.95 54.60 75.00 51.87 50............................ 86.48 60.96 83.89 59.13 80.53 56.76 76.51 53.92 51............................ 88.06 62.45 85.42 60.58 82.00 58.15 77.90 55.24 52............................ 89.65 63.97 86.96 62.05 83.48 59.57 79.31 56.59 53............................ 91.23 65.52 88.49 63.56 84.95 61.01 80.70 57.96 54............................ 92.82 67.08 90.04 65.06 86.43 62.46 82.11 59.34 55............................ 94.40 68.64 91.57 66.58 87.90 63.92 83.51 60.72 56............................ 95.28 69.28 92.42 67.20 88.73 64.51 84.29 61.29 57............................ 96.85 70.37 93.94 68.26 90.19 65.53 85.68 62.25 58............................ 98.43 71.48 95.48 69.34 91.66 66.56 87.07 63.24 59............................ 99.99 72.58 96.99 70.40 93.11 67.58 88.46 64.20 60............................ 101.57 74.18 98.53 71.96 94.59 69.08 89.86 65.62 61............................ 103.14 75.30 100.05 73.04 96.04 70.12 91.24 66.61 62............................ 104.72 76.40 101.58 74.11 97.51 71.14 92.64 67.59 63............................ 105.51 77.48 102.35 75.16 98.25 72.15 93.34 68.54 64............................ 107.07 78.55 103.85 76.19 99.70 73.15 94.71 69.49 65............................ 108.63 79.70 105.37 77.31 101.16 74.22 96.10 70.51 66............................ 110.19 80.85 106.88 78.42 102.61 75.29 97.48 71.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 13769]] (2) United Kingdom The base rates for the three delivery options for the U.K. are set forth below. For each delivery option, the Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer during a 12-month period. Once the customer has mailed 100,000 packages, postage for the customer's next packages will be reduced by 2.0% from the base rates. Packages mailed through any of the three delivery options will count toward the customer's meeting the 100,000-package threshold. International Package Consignment Service to United Kingdom ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Base rates For volumes > 100,000 Pounds to: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Premium Standard Economy Premium Standard Economy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1...................................... 13.87 11.17 9.95 13.59 10.95 9.75 2...................................... 15.21 12.46 11.19 14.90 12.21 10.97 3...................................... 16.54 13.75 12.43 16.21 13.47 12.18 4...................................... 17.88 15.04 13.67 17.52 14.73 13.39 5...................................... 19.21 16.32 14.91 18.83 16.00 14.61 6...................................... 20.55 17.61 16.15 20.14 17.26 15.82 7...................................... 21.88 18.90 17.39 21.44 18.52 17.04 8...................................... 23.71 20.18 18.63 23.24 19.78 18.25 9...................................... 25.08 21.47 19.87 24.58 21.04 19.47 10...................................... 26.63 22.76 21.11 26.09 22.30 20.68 11...................................... 28.00 24.05 22.35 27.44 23.57 21.90 12...................................... 29.37 25.33 23.59 28.79 24.83 23.11 13...................................... 30.96 26.62 24.82 30.34 26.09 24.33 14...................................... 32.34 27.91 26.06 31.70 27.35 25.54 15...................................... 33.96 29.20 27.30 33.28 28.61 27.76 16...................................... 35.35 30.48 28.54 34.64 29.87 27.97 17...................................... 36.99 31.77 29.78 36.25 31.13 29.19 18...................................... 38.66 33.06 31.02 37.88 32.40 30.40 19...................................... 40.61 34.35 32.26 39.80 33.66 63.62 20...................................... 42.04 35.63 33.50 41.20 34.92 32.83 21...................................... 43.47 36.92 34.74 42.60 36.18 34.05 22...................................... 44.90 38.21 35.98 44.00 37.44 35.26 23...................................... 46.33 39.49 37.22 45.40 38.70 36.48 24...................................... 47.76 40.78 38.46 46.81 39.97 37.69 25...................................... 49.19 42.07 39.70 48.21 41.23 38.91 26...................................... 50.62 43.36 40.94 49.61 42.49 40.12 27...................................... 53.44 44.64 42.18 52.37 43.75 41.34 28...................................... 54.91 45.93 43.42 53.81 45.01 42.55 29...................................... 56.38 47.22 44.66 55.25 46.27 43.77 30...................................... 57.85 48.51 45.90 56.69 47.54 44.98 31...................................... 59.31 49.79 47.14 58.13 48.80 46.20 32...................................... 60.78 51.08 48.38 59.57 50.06 47.41 33...................................... 62.25 52.37 49.62 61.01 51.32 48.63 34...................................... 63.72 53.65 50.86 62.45 52.58 49.84 35...................................... 65.19 54.94 52.10 63.88 53.84 51.06 36...................................... 66.66 56.23 53.34 65.32 55.10 52.27 37...................................... 68.13 57.52 54.58 66.76 56.37 53.48 38...................................... 69.59 58.80 55.82 68.20 57.63 54.70 39...................................... 72.45 60.09 57.06 71.00 58.89 55.91 40...................................... 73.94 61.38 58.30 72.46 60.15 57.13 41...................................... 75.44 62.67 59.54 73.93 61.41 58.34 42...................................... 76.94 63.95 60.77 75.40 62.67 59.56 43...................................... 78.44 65.24 62.01 76.87 63.94 60.77 44...................................... 79.93 66.53 63.25 78.33 65.20 61.99 45...................................... 81.43 67.82 64.49 79.80 66.46 63.20 46...................................... 82.93 69.10 65.73 81.27 67.72 64.42 47...................................... 84.42 70.39 66.97 82.74 68.98 65.63 48...................................... 85.92 71.68 68.21 84.20 70.24 66.85 49...................................... 87.42 72.96 69.45 85.67 71.51 68.06 50...................................... 88.91 74.25 70.69 87.14 72.77 69.28 51...................................... 90.41 75.54 71.93 88.60 74.03 70.49 52...................................... 91.91 76.83 73.17 90.07 75.29 71.71 53...................................... 93.41 78.11 74.41 91.54 76.55 72.92 54...................................... 94.90 79.40 75.65 93.01 77.81 74.14 55...................................... 96.40 80.69 76.89 94.47 79.07 75.35 56...................................... 97.90 81.98 78.13 95.94 80.34 76.57 57...................................... 99.39 83.26 79.37 97.41 81.60 77.78 58...................................... 100.89 84.55 80.61 98.87 82.86 79.00 59...................................... 102.39 85.84 81.85 100.34 84.12 80.21 60...................................... 103.89 87.13 83.09 101.81 85.38 81.43 61...................................... 105.38 88.41 84.33 103.28 86.64 82.64 62...................................... 106.88 89.70 85.57 104.74 87.91 83.86 63...................................... 108.38 90.99 86.81 106.21 89.17 85.07 64...................................... 109.87 92.27 88.05 107.68 90.43 86.29 [[Page 13770]] 65...................................... 111.37 93.56 89.29 109.14 91.69 87.50 66...................................... 112.87 94.85 90.53 110.61 92.95 88.72 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. Conclusion Accordingly, the Postal Service hereby adopts IPCS to Canada and the United Kingdom, on an interim basis, at the rates set forth in the schedules above. 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 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 International postal service, Foreign relations. 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. 2. Effective immediately, subchapter 620 of the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended as follows: 6 SPECIAL PROGRAMS * * * * * 620 International Package Consignment Service 621 Description 621.1 General International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) is a bulk mailing system that provides fast, economical international delivery of packages containing merchandise. IPCS is designed to make it easier and less costly for mail-order companies to export goods. The Postal Service provides IPCS on a destination country-specific basis pursuant to the terms and conditions stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. * * * * * 621.3 Availability IPCS is available only to destination countries identified in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. 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. 623 General 623.1 Special Services The special services provided for in Chapter 3 are not available for packages sent by IPCS unless specifically provided for in 620 or the Individual Country Listings. 623.2 Customs Documentation The requirements for customs forms vary by destination country as stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. 623.3 Size and Weight Limits Size and weight limits for packages sent by IPCS vary by destination country as stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. 623.41 Rates Rates vary by destination country as stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. 623.42 Postage Payment Method Postage must be paid by permit imprint or any other Postal Service approved method. 624 Preparation Requirements 624.1 General Requirements * * * * * 624.2 Destination Country-Specific Requirements Certain preparation requirements vary by destination country as stipulated in 620 and the Individual Country Listings. 625 IPCS Service Agreements * * * * * 625.2 Required Provisions a. The customer's commitment to send at least 25,000 packages (or 10,000 to the United Kingdom) by IPCS during the next 12 months to the specified destination country. * * * * * 626 IPCS to Japan * * * * * Change 627 to 626.7 Customs Forms Required. * * * * * Change 628 to 626.8 Preparation Requirements. * * * * * Change 628.1 to 626.81 Express Service. * * * * * Change 628.11 to 626.811 Processing at JFK. * * * * * Change 628.12 to 626.812 Processing Mailer's Plant. * * * * * Change 628.2 to 626.82 Standard Air Service. * * * * * Change 628.3 to 626.83 Economy Air Service. * * * * * 3. Effective immediately, chapter 6 of the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended by adding new section 627 as follows: 6 SPECIAL PROGRAMS * * * * * 620 International Package Consignment Service * * * * * 627 IPCS to Other Destination Countries Information concerning IPCS for the following designated countries is detailed in the Individual Country Listings (ICLs) section. a. Canada. b. Great Britain and Northern Ireland. * * * * * 4. Effective immediately, the Individual Country Listing for Canada in the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended by adding the following information, concerning International [[Page 13771]] Package Consignment Service, to the end of the listing. International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) Description IPCS to Canada provides the customer with two delivery options and with preparation by the Postal Service of the customs forms and delivery labels required by Canada. Delivery Options Air Courier Service Air Courier Service is the fastest option. The Postal Service will transport Air Courier Service packages from the customer's plant or from the designated IPCS processing facility to Canada overnight where they will receive expeditious customs clearance and be released to the delivery agent. From there, the packages will receive courier service throughout Canada and be delivered to major population centers overnight. Normal delivery times will be two to three days from dispatch to final delivery. Ground Courier Service Ground Courier Service will offer overnight transportation to Canada and ground transportation to final destination in Canada. It will receive the same expeditious customs clearance as Air Courier Service and normal delivery times for 95 percent of all Canadian addresses will be three to six days after dispatch from the customer's plant, depending on the location of final destination. (For addresses in the Maritimes and extreme northern territories where distance and poor roads affect transportation, delivery times could be as long as eight days.) Processing and Acceptance Within 500 Miles of an IPCS Processing Facility If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is located within 500 miles of an IPCS processing facility, the Postal Service will verify and accept the packages at the customer's plant and transport them to the IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. More than 500 Miles from an IPCS Processing Facility If the customer's plant from which the IPCS packages will originate is located more than 500 miles from an IPCS processing facility, the customer can choose one of two processing options. Option One: The customer will be required to present the packages to the Postal Service for verification at the customer's plant and transport them as a drop shipment to an IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Option Two: The customer will process the packages using Postal Service-provided computer system workstations and sort and prepare the packages as required by the Postal Service. Then, the Postal Service verifies and accepts the packages at the customer's plant and transports them by truck to the nearest air mail facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. From the air mail facility, the Postal Service dispatches the IPCS packages to Canada, bypassing an IPCS processing facility. Required Package Specific Information Requirements are the same as those detailed in Section 626.3. Insurance and Indemnity Air Courier Service Packages sent through Air Courier Service are insured against loss, damage, or rifling at no additional cost. Indemnity will be paid by the Postal Service as provided in DMM S500. However, packages are not insured against delay in delivery. Neither indemnity payments nor postage refunds will be made in event of delay. Ground Courier Service Packages sent through Economy Service may be insured at an additional cost. See 320. Postage General The base rates for the two currently available options are set forth below. These rates may be reduced by one or more of the three additive annual discounts depending on how many packages the customer mails to Canada using either of the two IPCS delivery options in a twelve month period. Base Rates The Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer during a 12-month period. Rate Reductions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of packages Percent discount ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Up to 100,000............................. Base Rate. 100,001 to 500,000........................ 3% off base rates. 500,001 to 1,000,000...................... 4% off previously discounted rates. 1,000,001 and over........................ 5% off previously discounted rates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Package Consignment Service To Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Base rates < 100k Volume discounts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pounds 101k-500k 3.00% 501k-1m 4.00% >1m 5.00% Air Ground ----------------------------------------------------------- Air Ground Air Ground Air Ground ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.............................. 10.15 8.55 9.85 8.29 9.45 7.96 8.98 7.56 2.............................. 11.09 9.37 10.76 9.09 10.33 8.72 9.81 8.29 3.............................. 12.74 10.92 12.36 10.60 11.86 10.17 11.27 9.66 4.............................. 14.38 11.93 13.95 11.57 13.39 11.10 12.73 10.55 5.............................. 16.03 12.95 15.55 12.56 14.93 12.06 14.18 11.46 6.............................. 17.55 13.98 17.03 13.56 16.35 13.02 15.53 12.37 7.............................. 19.19 14.93 18.61 14.48 17.87 13.90 16.98 13.20 8.............................. 20.83 15.85 20.20 15.38 19.39 14.76 18.42 14.03 9.............................. 22.46 16.80 21.79 16.29 20.92 15.64 19.87 14.86 10.............................. 24.10 17.72 23.37 17.19 22.44 16.51 21.32 15.68 11.............................. 25.55 18.55 24.78 17.99 23.79 17.27 22.60 16.41 12.............................. 27.17 19.49 26.36 18.91 25.30 18.15 24.04 17.25 13.............................. 28.81 20.45 27.95 19.84 26.83 19.05 25.49 18.09 14.............................. 30.44 21.40 29.52 20.76 28.34 19.93 26.92 18.93 [[Page 13772]] 15.............................. 32.06 22.36 31.10 21.69 29.85 20.82 28.36 19.78 16.............................. 33.68 23.86 32.67 23.14 31.37 22.21 29.80 21.10 17.............................. 35.32 24.84 34.26 24.09 32.89 23.13 31.25 21.97 18.............................. 36.95 25.81 35.84 25.03 34.40 24.03 32.68 22.83 19.............................. 38.57 26.99 37.41 26.18 35.92 25.14 34.12 23.88 20.............................. 40.19 27.97 38.99 27.13 37.43 26.05 35.56 24.74 21.............................. 41.53 28.74 40.29 27.88 38.68 26.76 36.74 25.43 22.............................. 43.15 29.71 41.85 28.82 40.18 27.67 38.17 26.28 23.............................. 44.76 30.69 43.42 29.77 41.68 28.58 39.59 27.15 24.............................. 46.37 31.66 44.98 30.71 43.18 29.48 41.02 28.01 25.............................. 48.00 32.65 46.56 31.67 44.69 30.40 42.46 28.88 26.............................. 49.61 33.61 48.12 32.61 46.20 31.30 43.89 29.74 27.............................. 50.85 34.60 49.32 33.56 47.35 32.22 44.98 30.61 28.............................. 52.83 35.57 51.25 34.50 49.20 33.12 46.74 31.46 29.............................. 54.46 36.55 52.83 35.45 50.71 34.03 48.18 32.33 30.............................. 56.07 37.52 54.39 36.39 52.21 34.94 49.60 33.19 31.............................. 57.27 38.21 55.55 37.06 53.33 35.58 50.66 33.80 32.............................. 58.87 39.17 57.10 37.99 54.82 36.47 52.08 34.65 33.............................. 60.49 40.14 58.67 38.94 56.32 37.38 53.51 35.51 34.............................. 62.09 41.11 60.22 39.87 57.81 38.28 54.92 36.36 35.............................. 63.69 42.08 61.78 40.82 59.31 39.19 56.34 37.23 36.............................. 65.29 43.04 63.33 41.75 60.80 40.08 57.76 38.08 37.............................. 66.90 44.02 64.90 42.70 62.30 40.99 59.18 38.94 38.............................. 68.50 45.33 66.45 43.97 63.79 42.21 60.60 40.10 39.............................. 70.10 46.49 68.00 45.09 65.28 43.29 62.02 41.12 40.............................. 71.70 47.64 69.55 46.21 66.77 44.36 63.43 42.14 41.............................. 72.79 48.26 70.60 46.81 67.78 44.94 64.39 42.69 42.............................. 74.38 49.23 72.15 47.75 69.26 45.84 65.80 43.55 43.............................. 75.97 50.21 73.69 48.71 70.74 46.76 67.20 44.42 44.............................. 77.56 51.57 75.23 50.03 72.22 48.02 68.61 45.62 45.............................. 79.16 52.56 76.78 50.99 73.71 48.95 70.03 46.50 46.............................. 80.16 53.13 77.75 51.54 74.64 49.48 70.91 47.00 47.............................. 81.74 54.94 79.28 53.29 76.11 51.16 72.31 48.60 48.............................. 83.31 56.77 80.81 55.06 77.58 52.86 73.70 50.22 49.............................. 84.78 58.64 82.24 56.88 78.95 54.60 75.00 51.87 50.............................. 86.48 60.96 83.89 59.13 80.53 56.76 76.51 53.92 51.............................. 88.06 62.45 85.42 60.58 82.00 58.15 77.90 55.24 52.............................. 89.65 63.97 86.96 62.05 83.48 59.57 79.31 56.59 53.............................. 91.23 65.52 88.49 63.56 84.95 61.01 80.70 57.96 54.............................. 92.82 67.08 90.04 65.06 86.43 62.46 82.11 59.34 55.............................. 94.40 68.64 91.57 66.58 87.90 63.92 83.51 60.72 56.............................. 95.28 69.28 92.42 67.20 88.73 64.51 84.29 61.29 57.............................. 96.85 70.37 93.94 68.26 90.19 65.53 85.68 62.25 58.............................. 98.43 71.48 95.48 69.34 91.66 66.56 87.07 63.24 59.............................. 99.99 72.58 96.99 70.40 93.11 67.58 88.46 64.20 60.............................. 101.57 74.18 98.53 71.96 94.59 69.08 89.86 65.62 61.............................. 103.14 75.30 100.05 73.04 96.04 70.12 91.24 66.61 62.............................. 104.72 76.40 101.58 74.11 97.51 71.14 92.64 67.59 63.............................. 105.51 77.48 102.35 75.16 98.25 72.15 93.34 68.54 64.............................. 107.07 78.55 103.85 76.19 99.70 73.15 94.71 69.49 65.............................. 108.63 79.70 105.37 77.31 101.16 74.22 96.10 70.51 66.............................. 110.19 80.85 106.88 78.42 102.61 75.29 97.48 71.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Size and Weight Limits All Air Courier and Ground Courier Service packages must meet the following size and weight limits: Size Limits a. Minimum length and width: large enough to accommodate the necessary labels and customs forms on the address side. b. Maximum length: 60 inches. c. Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches. Weight Limit Maximum weight: 66 pounds. Customs Customs Forms Normally all necessary Canadian customs forms will be automatically generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed to Canada through an IPCS facility will not be required to bear customs forms when they are tendered to the Postal Service. The Postal Service will verify, accept, and transport these packages to a designated IPCS processing facility. After scanning the customer-printed barcode on each package and correlating it with the package-specific information transmitted by the customer, the Postal [[Page 13773]] Service will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to the customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS processing facility. However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer may be required to prepare the necessary customs forms on its own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering them to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer workstations are located at the customer's plant and operated by customer employees, the USPS computer will print the customs forms, and the customer will be required to affix these forms to the appropriate packages as instructed by the Postal Service prior to verification and acceptance of the mail. Customs Clearance The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System (CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically advises the USPS delivery agent and Canadian Customs of the contents of each package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before the mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through Canadian Customs and reduces costs for the customer and the Postal Service. Preparation Requirements Air Courier Service Every package sent through Air Courier Service must bear a label identifying it as an Air Courier Service package. The customer is not normally required to affix this label. The Postal Service prints the necessary label and affixes it to the Air Courier Service package. However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the customer are establishing the information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer is required to affix an alternative label as instructed by the Postal Service to every Air Courier Service package. Ground Courier Service There are no Canada-specific preparation requirements for packages sent through Ground Courier Service. Packages weighing 1 pound or less must bear the Small Packet marking (see 264.21). * * * * * 5. Effective immediately, the Individual Country Listing for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the International Mail Manual, Issue 16, is amended by adding the following information, concerning International Package Consignment Service, to the end of the listing. International Package Consignment Service (IPCS) Description IPCS to the United Kingdom (U.K.) provides the customer with three delivery options and with preparation by the Postal Service of the customs and delivery labels required by the British Post Office. Delivery Options Premium Service The Postal Service will transport Premium packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should clear Customs and be delivered in the U.K. by close of business on the third working day. The customer can track packages through delivery and reports on delivery performance are furnished to the customer in the formats and at the frequencies agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Standard Service The Postal Service will transport Standard packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from the customer's facility, it should clear Customs and be delivered by close of business on the fourth working day. The customer can track packages through delivery and reports on delivery performance are furnished to the customer in the formats and at the frequencies agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Economy Service The Postal Service will transport Economy packages to the U.K. by air. Once a package is dispatched from a customer's facility, it should clear Customs and be delivered by close of business the fifth or sixth working day. Tracking and tracing is available to the point of entry into the U.K. domestic mail stream. Processing and Acceptance Within 500 Miles of an IPCS Processing Facility If the plant at which the customer's ICPS packages originate is located within 500 miles of an IPCS processing facility, the Postal Service will accept the packages at the customer's plant and transport them by truck to the IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. More than 500 Miles from an IPCS Processing Facility If the customer's plant from which the IPCS packages will originate is located more than 500 miles from an IPCS processing facility, the customer can choose one of two processing options. Option One: The customer will be required to present the packages to the Postal Service for verification at the customer's plant and transport them as a drop shipment to an IPCS processing facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. Option Two: The customer will process the packages using Postal Service-provided computer system workstations and sort and prepare the packages as required by the Postal Service. Then, the Postal Service accepts the packages at the customer's plant and transports them by truck to the nearest air mail facility according to a schedule agreed upon by the Postal Service and the customer. From the air mail facility, the Postal Service dispatches the IPCS packages to the U.K., bypassing an IPCS processing facility. Required Package-Specific Information Requirements are the same as those detailed in Section 626.3. Insurance and Indemnity Premium and Standard Services Packages sent through the Premium or Standard Services are insured against loss, damage, or rifling at no additional cost. Indemnity will be paid by the Postal Service as provided in DMM S500. However, Premium and Standard packages are not insured against delay in delivery. Neither indemnity payments nor postage refunds will be made in event of delay. Economy Service Packages sent through Economy Service may be insured at an additional cost. See 320. [[Page 13774]] Postage General The base rates for the three available delivery options are set forth below. These rates may be reduced by an annual discount depending on how many packages the customer mails to the U.K. using any of the three IPCS delivery options in a twelve month period. Base Rates The Postal Service will charge the base rates, in 1-pound increments, for the first 100,000 packages mailed by the customer during a 12-month period. Rate Reductions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of packages Percent discount ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Up to 100,000............................. Base Rate. 100,001 and over.......................... 2%. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Package Consignment Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Base rates For volumes > 100,000 Pounds to: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Premium Standard Economy Premium Standard Economy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1...................................... 13.87 11.17 9.95 13.59 10.95 9.75 2...................................... 15.21 12.46 11.19 14.90 12.21 10.97 3...................................... 16.54 13.75 12.43 16.21 13.47 12.18 4...................................... 17.88 15.04 13.67 17.52 14.73 13.39 5...................................... 19.21 16.32 14.91 18.83 16.00 14.61 6...................................... 20.55 17.61 16.15 20.14 17.26 15.82 7...................................... 21.88 18.90 17.39 21.44 18.52 17.04 8...................................... 23.71 20.18 18.63 23.24 19.78 18.25 9...................................... 25.08 21.47 19.87 24.58 21.04 19.47 10...................................... 26.63 22.76 21.11 26.09 22.30 20.68 11...................................... 28.00 24.05 22.35 27.44 23.57 21.90 12...................................... 29.37 25.33 23.59 28.79 24.83 23.11 13...................................... 30.96 26.62 24.82 30.34 26.09 24.33 14...................................... 32.34 27.91 26.06 31.70 27.35 25.54 15...................................... 33.96 29.20 27.30 33.28 28.61 27.76 16...................................... 35.35 30.48 28.54 34.64 29.87 27.97 17...................................... 36.99 31.77 29.78 36.25 31.13 29.19 18...................................... 38.66 33.06 31.02 37.88 32.40 30.40 19...................................... 40.61 34.35 32.26 39.80 33.66 63.62 20...................................... 42.04 35.63 33.50 41.20 34.92 32.83 21...................................... 43.47 36.92 34.74 42.60 36.18 34.05 22...................................... 44.90 38.21 35.98 44.00 37.44 35.26 23...................................... 46.33 39.49 37.22 45.40 38.70 36.48 24...................................... 47.76 40.78 38.46 46.81 39.97 37.69 25...................................... 49.19 42.07 39.70 48.21 41.23 38.91 26...................................... 50.62 43.36 40.94 49.61 42.49 40.12 27...................................... 53.44 44.64 42.18 52.37 43.75 41.34 28...................................... 54.91 45.93 43.42 53.81 45.01 42.55 29...................................... 56.38 47.22 44.66 55.25 46.27 43.77 30...................................... 57.85 48.51 45.90 56.69 47.54 44.98 31...................................... 59.31 49.79 47.14 58.13 48.80 46.20 32...................................... 60.78 51.08 48.38 59.57 50.06 47.41 33...................................... 62.25 52.37 49.62 61.01 51.32 48.63 34...................................... 63.72 53.65 50.86 62.45 52.58 49.84 35...................................... 65.19 54.94 52.10 63.88 53.84 51.06 36...................................... 66.66 56.23 53.34 65.32 55.10 52.27 37...................................... 68.13 57.52 54.58 66.76 56.37 53.48 38...................................... 69.59 58.80 55.82 68.20 57.63 54.70 39...................................... 72.45 60.09 57.06 71.00 58.89 55.91 40...................................... 73.94 61.38 58.30 72.46 60.15 57.13 41...................................... 75.44 62.67 59.54 73.93 61.41 58.34 42...................................... 76.94 63.95 60.77 75.40 62.67 59.56 43...................................... 78.44 65.24 62.01 76.87 63.94 60.77 44...................................... 79.93 66.53 63.25 78.33 65.20 61.99 45...................................... 81.43 67.82 64.49 79.80 66.46 63.20 46...................................... 82.93 69.10 65.73 81.27 67.72 64.42 47...................................... 84.42 70.39 66.97 82.74 68.98 65.63 48...................................... 85.92 71.68 68.21 84.20 70.24 66.85 49...................................... 87.42 72.96 69.45 85.67 71.51 68.06 50...................................... 88.91 74.25 70.69 87.14 72.77 69.28 51...................................... 90.41 75.54 71.93 88.60 74.03 70.49 52...................................... 91.91 76.83 73.17 90.07 75.29 71.71 53...................................... 93.41 78.11 74.41 91.54 76.55 72.92 54...................................... 94.90 79.40 75.65 93.01 77.81 74.14 55...................................... 96.40 80.69 76.89 94.47 79.07 75.35 56...................................... 97.90 81.98 78.13 95.94 80.34 76.57 57...................................... 99.39 83.26 79.37 97.41 81.60 77.78 58...................................... 100.89 84.55 80.61 98.87 82.86 79.00 59...................................... 102.39 85.84 81.85 100.34 84.12 80.21 60...................................... 103.89 87.13 83.09 101.81 85.38 81.43 [[Page 13775]] 61...................................... 105.38 88.41 84.33 103.28 86.64 82.64 62...................................... 106.88 89.70 85.57 104.74 87.91 83.86 63...................................... 108.38 90.99 86.81 106.21 89.17 85.07 64...................................... 109.87 92.27 88.05 107.68 90.43 86.29 65...................................... 111.37 93.56 89.29 109.14 91.69 87.50 66...................................... 112.87 94.85 90.53 110.61 92.95 88.72 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Size and Weight Limits All packages must meet the following size and weight limits: Size Limits a. Minimum length and width: large enough to accommodate the necessary customs/delivery label on the address side. b. Maximum length: 60 inches. c. Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches. Weight Limit Maximum weight: 66 pounds. Customs Customs Forms Normally all necessary U.K. customs forms will be automatically generated by the Postal Service computer workstations. Packages mailed to the U.K. through an IPCS processing facility will not be required to bear customs forms when they are tendered to the Postal Service. The Postal Service will verify, accept, and transport these packages to a designated IPCS processing facility. After scanning the customer- printed barcode on each package and correlating it with the package- specific information transmitted by the customer, the Postal Service will print the necessary customs forms and then affix them to the customer's packages as part of the processing operation at the IPCS Processing Facility. However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the customer are working together to establish the information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer may be required to prepare the necessary customs forms on its own and affix the forms to the packages before tendering them to the Postal Service. In those cases where the computer workstations are located at the customer's plant and operated by customer employees, the USPS computer workstations will print the customs forms, and the customer will be required to affix these forms to the appropriate packages as instructed by the Postal Service prior to verification and acceptance of the mail. Customs Clearance The Postal Service has developed the Customs Pre-Advisory System (CPAS) as part of IPCS processing. This electronic system collects package-specific data to satisfy customs requirements as packages are processed using the USPS computer workstations located at either an IPCS facility or the customer's plant. The system electronically advises the USPS delivery agent and Customs in the U.K. of the contents of each package mailed. Since this advisory information arrives before the mail, CPAS facilitates and simplifies customs clearance. Electronic pre-notification of the package contents and automatic preparation of required customs declarations assures the fastest clearance through U.K. Customs and reduces costs for the customer and the Postal Service. Preparation Requirements Every package sent through Premium, Standard or Economy Service must bear a label identifying it as a Premium, a Standard or an Economy Service package. The customer is not normally required to affix this label. The Postal Service prints the necessary label and affixes it to the package. However, during the interim period in which the Postal Service and the customer are establishing the information systems linkages to enable the Postal Service to accomplish this, the customer is required to affix an alternative label as instructed by the Postal Service to every package. Stanley F. Mires, Chief Counsel, Legislative. [FR Doc. 96-7435 Filed 3-27-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710-12-P