August 24, 2010

Mailing Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to APO/FPO/DPO Destination Addresses

An advance copy of a Federal Register final rule permitting the mailing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to APO/FPO/DPO destination addresses when using Priority Mail® with Delivery Confirmation™ Service was posted today on Postal Explorer®.

Provisions of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, implemented in June 2010, restricted the mailability of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The option of using Priority Mail® with Delivery Confirmation Service for mailpieces containing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco sent as gifts between individual adults to APO/FPO/DPO destination addresses — unless otherwise restricted by requirements of the host country — is now available to accommodate the shipping needs of military families who could not send packages by Express Mail to combat zones.

Mailers should be advised that packages containing mailable cigarettes or smokeless tobacco are still subject to all other requirements in Domestic Mail Manual 601.11.6 such as age and marking requirements, 10-ounce weight limit per package, and no more than 10 mailings in a 30-day period.

This final rule can be found on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com in the left frame under Federal Register notices.