[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 134 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36500-36501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17600]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 20
Implementation of International Package Consignment Service
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Amendment to interim rule with request for comments.
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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
