Service Updates

Politics and economics can change global mailing conditions.


 

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE ACCEPTANCE OF LITHIUM BATTERIES

The Postal Service has worked collaboratively with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Universal Postal Union and the Federal Aviation Authority to secure the changes needed to allow international mail shipments containing lithium batteries to begin.

Postal Service policies were changed Nov. 15, 2012, to allow specific quantities of lithium batteries — when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate — to be sent to many international destinations, including APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.

The postal operator of Germany notified the Postal Service it will not accept packages containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries destined to addresses in Germany. This does not apply to shipments to and from APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations in Germany.

Postal employees will advise customers of this prohibition and will decline any shipments of electronic items containing lithium batteries addressed to Germany.

The postal operator of Italy has notified USPS that it will not accept packages containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries destined to addresses in Italy. This does not apply to shipments to and from APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations in Italy.

Postal employees should advise customers of this prohibition and decline any shipments of electronic items containing lithium batteries addressed to Italy.

Items that can be shipped may include: cameras, video cameras, mobile/smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, laptop computers, shavers, portable DVD players, tablets, two-way radios, GPS devices and most other small electronic devices requiring lithium batteries to operate.

Items that cannot be shipped include any lithium batteries not installed in the equipment they are intended to operate. In addition, when installed, they may not exceed the quantity or limits defined in the IMM or DMM.

Domestic shipments of packages containing lithium batteries, and electronic devices containing lithium batteries currently remain unchanged.

Post Office employees have been instructed on package acceptance and customs label declaration procedures.

Currently, U.S. customers may not take international and APO, FPO, DPO mail containing lithium batteries to Village Post Offices (VPOs), Contract Postal Units (CPUs), Commercial Mail Receiving Agents (CMRAs) or Approved Shippers.

This change presents an enhancement and convenience for our customers. We are pleased that customers maintain their confidence in the Postal Service and we look forward to continuing to be a shipper of choice for international and APO, FPO, DPO shipments containing lithium batteries.

The Federal Register final rule, and IMM, DMM and Publication 52 revisions, is available at pe.usps.com.

Currently, mail from the United States to all countries is being handled under normal operating conditions, with these exceptions (Effective 1/28/13):

Afghanistan ›
Antigua and Barbuda ›
Ascension Islands ›
Bolivia ›
British Virgin Islands ›
Burma (Myanmar) ›
Central African Republic ›
China ›
Comoros ›
Cuba ›
Equatorial Guinea ›
El Salvador ›
Falkland Islands ›
Gambia ›
Gibraltar ›
Greenland ›
Guinea-Bissau ›
Indonesia ›
Iran ›
Italy ›
Kazakhstan ›
Kiribati ›
Korea (North) ›
Lebanon ›
Libya ›
Montenegro ›
Montserrat ›
Nauru ›
Norway ›
Pitcairn Island ›
Reunion ›
Romania ›
Saint Helena ›
Saint Pierre and Miquelon ›
Sao Tome and Principe ›
Solomon Islands ›
Somalia ›
Tajikistan ›
Tonga ›
Tristan da Cunha ›
Turkmenistan ›
Tuvalu ›
Wallis and Futuna Islands ›
Western Samoa ›
Yemen ›
 
 
 

Afghanistan
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Antigua and Barbuda
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Ascension Islands
Only First-Class Mail International service is available. Back to Top ›

Bolivia
Priority Mail International parcel service is not available but the Priority Mail International Flat-Rate Envelope may be mailed. Back to Top ›

British Virgin Islands
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Burma (Myanmar)
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

Central African Republic
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

China
All EMS, Air Parcels and Surface Airlift (SAL) Mail originating in the People's Republic of China may be subject to delay due to limited air transportation until further notice. The postal administration of China is taking all necessary action to schedule mail airlift to destination posts and clear its backlog as quickly as possible. Back to Top ›

Comoros
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

Cuba
Service is limited to letters in the usual form, Braille letters for the blind, postcards, and printed matter items sent as First-Class Mail International, International Priority Airmail (IPA) or International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) mailings. Priority Mail International parcel service is not available, but the Priority Mail International Flat-Rate Envelope may be mailed. Prior to mailing, customers need to contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury for general provisions governing U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions and for comprehensive information about goods and service that may not be imported to or exported from Cuba. Back to Top ›

El Salvador
The postal administrator of El Salvador has advised that a strike by customs officials has been disrupting international mail services since November 28, 2011.

El Salvador Post will provide further developments and updates on the current situation. Back to Top ›

Equatorial Guinea
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

Falkland Islands
Only First-Class Mail International service is available. Back to Top ›

Gambia
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Gibraltar
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Greenland
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

Guinea-Bissau
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

Indonesia
The postal administration of Indonesia has advised that some of its postal infrastructure sustained serious damage due to the recent earthquakes in Indonesia, particularly in Padang (postcodes 252xx), Pariaman (postcodes 255xx), Padang Pariaman (postcodes 253xx), Bukit Tinggi (postcodes 261xx), Pasaman Barat (postcodes 263xx), Agam (postcodes 261xx), and Solok. Mail delivery to these areas may be subject to delays. Back to Top ›

Iran
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Prior to mailing, customers need to contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. Department of the Treasury for general provisions governing U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions and for comprehensive information about goods and service that may not be imported to or exported from Iran. Back to Top ›

Italy
The postal administration of Italy has advised that due to the earthquake in Emilia Romagna (North Italy) on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 the collection and delivery activities of parcel and letter mail products will be heavily affected in that region, and in particular in areas with zip codes from 41034 to 41038. Back to Top ›
                                                                                                                         

Kiribati
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Kazakhstan
The postal administrator of Kazakhstan advised on September 21, 2012 that due to the increased volume of incoming international EMS mail, there is a problem to date for the timely processing and shipment to destinations. EMS items coming from abroad to the Republic of Kazakhstan have delays for 3-6 days occurring in the office of exchange in Almaty. At present, they are taking measures to accelerate the processing of EMS items. More information will be provided as the situation changes. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Korea (North)
Service is limited to First-Class Mail International service including postcards and Matter for the Blind. All merchandise is prohibited. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Lebanon
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Libya
Effective January 6, 2012, the Postal Service™ has restored mail service to Libya with the exception of Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG®) service. Acceptance of the following mail classes has resumed:

  • Priority Mail International® service.
  • First-Class Mail International® service.
  • International Priority Airmail™ (IPA®) service.
  • International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) service.
  • M-bag items.

Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Montenegro
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Montserrat
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Nauru
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Norway
The postal administration of Norway Post has advised that the security controllers at some airports in Norway have been on strike since 20:00, Friday, June 1, 2012. The strike has affected the security checkpoints at the airports. The security controllers at our AMU in Oslo that is screening our outbound mail are also on strike. This has major consequences for our export priority mail sent by air.

As a result of the strike, our AMU is closed for outbound mail. We don’t expect any negative impact for inbound mail. We cannot predict the end of the strike.

More information will be provided as the situation changes. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Pitcairn Island
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Reunion
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Romania
The postal administrator of Romania has advised that international flights departing from and arriving at H. Coanda International Airport in Bucharest are currently being delayed or cancelled as a result of heavy snowstorms and blizzard conditions. Inward and outward flows of international postal items have been suffering disruption since the evening of Wednesday, January 25, 2012. You will be advised of developments in the ongoing situation. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Saint Helena
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Sao Tome and Principe
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Solomon Islands
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Somalia
All services are suspended. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Tajikistan
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Tonga
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Tristan da Cunha
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Turkmenistan
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Tuvalu
Global Express Guaranteed service and Express Mail International service are not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                              

Wallis and Futuna Islands
Express Mail International service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Western Samoa
Global Express Guaranteed service is not available. Back to Top ›

                                                                                                                         

Yemen
The U.S. Postal Service has temporarily suspended acceptance of inbound international mail originating in Yemen effective October 30, 2010.

This service suspension has been issued in response to the potential threat posed by suspicious packages arriving in the U.S. aboard international flights originating in Yemen.

The Postal Service has also heightened awareness among its employees, and remains vigilant in ensuring its security processes are adhered to in the acceptance of international mail arriving in the U.S.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service continues to monitor the situation as part of its mission to protect the Postal Service, its employees and its customers.

The Postal Service is prepared to make further adjustments to its international mail transportation network based on the recommendations of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other federal law enforcement agencies. Back to Top ›