[Federal Register: May 27, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 101)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 28632-28634] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr27my97-14] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 20 International Mail Special Services AGENCY: Postal Service. ACTION: Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Postal Service is modifying the fees for international mail, special delivery (Express/Expres) and recorded delivery, and is changing the insurance limits for international insured mail and Express Mail. These changes are a consequence of the Governors of the Postal Service to approve the recommended decision of the PRC in docket number MC96-3. EFFECTIVE DATE: 12:01 a.m., June 8, 1997. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to the Manager, Pricing, Costing, and Classification, Room 370-IBU, International Business Unit, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, D.C. 20260-6500. Copies of all written comments will be available for public inspection between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the International Business Unit, 901 D Street S.W., 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walter J. Grandjean, (202) 314-7256. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 7, 1996, the Postal Service filed with the Postal Rate Commission a Special Services Reform case (MC96- 3). The Postal Rate Commission issued its Opinion and Recommended Decision on April 2, 1997. This was adopted by the Postal Service Board of Governors on May 5, 1997. While the Postal Rate Commission does not recommend international postage rates and special mail service fees, domestic fees impact the level of fees and conditions of service for international special mail services. In general, the Universal Postal Convention (Convention) and the Postal Parcels Agreement (PPA) fix the maximum fees for special mail services but allow higher fees based on the fees for comparable domestic services. Likewise, the Convention and PPA allow a maximum limit of liability but allow lower limits based on the limit of liability. In view of the changes for domestic special services, as a result of the decision in Docket MC96-3, it is necessary to make changes for international special services. Accordingly, the Postal Service adopts the following changes in the conditions of service and fees for international special services: 1. Insured Mail: The limit of indemnity is raised to $5000 unless the destination country's insurance limit is less. In this case the lower limit will apply. Table 1 lists limits available to all countries offering insured parcel post service. The fees are: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fee --------------------------------------- Limit of indemnity All other Canada countries ------------------------------------------------------------------------ $50............................. $0.75............. $1.60. $100............................ $1.60............. $2.50. over $100 to $5000.............. $1.60 plus $0.90 $2.50 plus $0.90 for each for each additional $100 additional $100 or fraction or fraction thereof. thereof. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. International Express Mail: The limit of indemnity for merchandise insurance is increased from $500 to $5000. The first $500 of merchandise is without charge above the postage. For merchandise insurance coverage over [[Page 28633]] $500 and up to and including $5000 is $0.90 for each additional $100 or fraction of $100 of merchandise insurance coverage requested. The maximum merchandise insurance is $5000. Document reconstruction insurance included with international Express Mail Service is reduced from $50,000 to $500. 3. Special Delivery: The Postal Service fee for international special delivery (Express/Expres) is changed to $2.35 for letters/ letter packages, post and postal cards, printed matter, matter for the blind, and small packets, regardless of weight. 4. Recorded Delivery: The fee for recorded delivery service is increased to $1.35. Although 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 public comment on this final rule. The Postal Service is adopting the above fees and amends 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, incorporation by reference, international postal services. 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, 407, 408. 2. The International Mail Manual is amended to incorporate the above special mail service fees. Table 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Country Insurance indemnity limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Afghanistan............................... N/A. Albania................................... N/A. Algeria................................... $2370. Andorra................................... $600. Angola.................................... N/A. Anguilla.................................. $450. Antigua & Barbuda......................... $60. Argentina................................. $5000. Armenia................................... $1465. Aruba..................................... $600. Ascension................................. $185 (surface only). Australia................................. $3660. Austria................................... $5000. Azerbaijan................................ $5000. Azores.................................... $5000. Bahamas................................... $3035 (Nassau/Freeport); $605 (other locations). Bahrain................................... N/A. Bangladesh................................ $5000. Barbados.................................. $240. Belarus................................... $5000. Belgium................................... $5000. Belize.................................... $1740. Benin..................................... $185. Bermuda................................... $480. Bhutan.................................... $480. Bolivia................................... N/A. Bosnia/Herzegovina........................ $600. Botswana.................................. $160. Brazil.................................... $5000 (air only). British Virgin Islands.................... $180. Brunei Darussalam......................... $4780. Bulgaria.................................. $1025. Burkina Faso.............................. $580. Burma (Myanmar)........................... $4390 (air parcels to Rangoon only). Burundi................................... $855 (air only). Cambodia.................................. N/A. Cameroon.................................. $5000. Canada.................................... $730. Cape Verde................................ $480. Cayman Islands............................ N/A. Central African Republic.................. $4780. Chad...................................... $480 (air only). Chile..................................... N/A. China..................................... $1225. Colombia.................................. N/A. Comoros................................... $750. Congo..................................... $1830. Corsica................................... $5000. Costa Rica................................ N/A. Cote d' Ivoire............................ $5000. Croatia................................... $5000. Cuba...................................... N/A. Cyprus.................................... $5000. Czech Republic............................ $5000. Denmark................................... $5000. Djibouti.................................. $955. Dominica.................................. N/A. Dominican Republic........................ N/A. Ecuador................................... N/A. Egypt..................................... $1830. El Salvador............................... N/A. Equatorial Guinea......................... N/A. Eritrea................................... N/A. Estonia................................... $1465. Ethiopia.................................. N/A. Falkland Islands.......................... $555 (surface only). Faroe Islands............................. $5000. Fiji...................................... $600. Finland................................... $5000. France.................................... $5000. French Guiana............................. $5000. French Polynesia.......................... $1080. Gabon..................................... $525. Gambia.................................... $2800. Georgia................................... $730. Germany................................... $5000. Ghana..................................... $5000. Gibraltar................................. $95. Great Britain & Northern Ireland.......... $2195. Greece.................................... $5000. Greenland................................. $5000. Grenada................................... $380. Guadeloupe................................ $5000. Guatemala................................. N/A. Guinea.................................... $950. Guinea-Bissau............................. $21. Guyana.................................... $10. Haiti..................................... N/A. Honduras.................................. N/A. Hong Kong................................. $5000. Hungary................................... $5000 (surface); $4780 (air). Iceland................................... $5000. India..................................... $3070. Indonesia................................. N/A. Iran...................................... N/A. Iraq...................................... $575 (surface); $2390 (air). Ireland................................... $1545. Israel.................................... N/A. Italy..................................... $2390. Jamaica................................... N/A. Japan..................................... $5000. Jordan.................................... N/A. Kazakhstan................................ $5000. Kenya..................................... $885. Kiribati.................................. N/A. Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)... N/A. Korea (Republic of)....................... $5000. Kuwait.................................... $1920. Kyrgyzstan................................ $1465. Laos...................................... N/A. Latvia.................................... $1465. Lebanon................................... $480 (air only). Lesotho................................... $480. Liberia................................... $480. Libya..................................... N/A. Liechtenstein............................. $5000. Lithuania................................. $5000. Luxembourg................................ $5000. Macao..................................... $5000. Macedonia (Republic of)................... $2390. Madagascar................................ $730. Madeira Islands........................... $5000. Malawi.................................... $55. Malaysia.................................. $475. Maldives.................................. N/A. Mali...................................... $1030. Malta..................................... N/A. Martinique................................ $5000. Mauritania............................... $690. Mauritius................................. $295. Mexico.................................... N/A. Moldova................................... $1465. Mongolia.................................. $480. Montserrat................................ $2390. Morocco................................... $955. Mozambique................................ N/A. Namibia................................... $535. Nauru..................................... $240. Nepal..................................... N/A. Netherlands............................... $4780. Netherlands Antilles...................... $900. New Caledonia............................. $1750. New Zealand............................... $1065. Nicaragua................................. $480. Niger..................................... $880. Nigeria................................... $220. Norway.................................... $5000. Oman...................................... $620. Pakistan.................................. $295. Panama.................................... N/A. Papua New Guinea.......................... $485. [[Page 28634]] Paraguay.................................. N/A. Peru...................................... N/A. Philippines............................... $295. Pitcairn Island........................... N/A. Poland.................................... $1465. Portugal.................................. $5000. Qatar..................................... $2730. Reunion................................... $5000. Romania................................... $5000. Russia.................................... $5000. Rwanda.................................... N/A. St. Christopher & Nevis................... $225. St. Helena................................ $185. St. Lucia................................. $435. St. Pierre & Miquelon..................... $5000. St. Vincent & The Grenadines.............. $145. San Marino (Republic of).................. $2390. Sao Tome & Principe....................... $480. Saudi Arabia.............................. N/A. Senegal................................... $940. Serbia-Montenegro......................... $5000. Seychelles................................ N/A. Sierra Leone.............................. N/A. Singapore................................. $4780. Slovak Republic (Slovakia)................ $5000. Slovenia.................................. $4780. Solomon Islands........................... N/A. Somalia................................... $480. South Africa.............................. $1915. Spain..................................... $480 (surface); $955 (air). Sri Lanka................................. $40. Sudan..................................... N/A. Suriname.................................. $580. Swaziland................................. $610. Sweden.................................... $5000. Switzerland.............................. $5000. Syria..................................... $3345. Taiwan.................................... $500. Tajikistan................................ $410. Tanzania.................................. $250. Thailand.................................. $480. Togo...................................... $2380. Tonga..................................... $560. Trinidad & Tobago......................... $1010. Tristan Da Cunha.......................... N/A. Tunisia................................... $2390. Turkey.................................... $955. Turkmenistan.............................. $730. Turks & Caicos Islands.................... N/A. Tuvalu.................................... $5000 (surface); $730 (air). Uganda.................................... N/A. Ukraine................................... $5000. United Arab Emirates...................... $5000. Uruguay................................... N/A. Uzbekistan................................ $410. Vanuatu................................... N/A. Vatican City.............................. $2390. Venezuela................................. N/A. Vietnam................................... N/A. Wallis & Fortuna Islands.................. $1755 (air only). Western Samoa............................. $320. Yemen..................................... $600. Zaire..................................... N/A. Zambia.................................... $585. Zimbabwe.................................. $600. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stanley F. Mires, Chief Counsel, Legislative. [FR Doc. 97-13683 Filed 5-23-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710-12-U