292 International Priority Airmail (IPA) Service

292.1 Description

292.11 General

International Priority Airmail™ (IPA^®) service is available for volume mailings of all First-Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets). The sender must prepare mailpieces in accordance with the shape-based requirements of First-Class Mail International service (see 240) and the requirements of this subchapter. Separate prices are provided for International Service Center (ISC) drop shipments, presorted mail, and worldwide nonpresort mail. Volume incentives are available through customized agreements.

292.12 Mail Sealed Against Inspection

With the exception of M-bags (see 261.23), IPA mailpieces are sealed against inspection.

292.13 IPA M-bags

IPA M-bags (direct sacks of printed matter to one addressee) may be entered in conjunction with an IPA mailing, are subject to the provisions of 260, and may be sent to all destination countries that are referenced in Exhibit 292.452. When using this method of mail preparation, the sender must complete PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail, and PS Tag 158, M–bag Addressee Tag. Tags must be securely attached to the neck of the sack.

292.2 Eligibility

292.21 Qualifying Mailpieces

To qualify for IPA service, a mailpiece must meet the First-Class Mail International characteristics as defined in 141.5. Mailpieces do not have to be of the same size and weight to qualify. Any item sent with IPA service must conform to the weight and size limits for First-Class Mail International postcards, letters, large envelopes (flats), and packages (small packets) as described in 240.

292.22 Availability

IPA service is available to all the foreign countries that are as listed in Exhibit 292.452, which shows the price group assigned to each country.

292.23 Minimum Quantity Requirements

292.231 Minimum Quantity

All mailings must meet a minimum weight quantity of 50 pounds. To achieve the 50-pound minimum, mailings may include a combination of presort mail, worldwide nonpresort mail, or M-bags.

292.232 Presort Eligibility — Full Service

Only a direct country sack containing a minimum of 5 pounds qualifies for the presort price. All remaining mail must be prepared and paid at the worldwide nonpresort price.

292.233 Presort Eligibility — ISC Drop Shipment

Only a direct country sack containing a minimum of 5 pounds or a mixed country sack containing a minimum of 5 pounds qualifies for the presort price. All remaining mail must be prepared and paid at the worldwide nonpresort price.

292.24 Dutiable Items

Dutiable items may be sent in accordance with the applicable rules in this subchapter for each respective category of mail. Priority Mail International items, either ordinary or insured, may not be mailed with IPA service.

292.25 Customs Forms Requirements

See 123 for customs forms requirements.

292.26 Extra Services

Extra services are not available for items sent with IPA service.

292.3 Prices and Postage Payment Methods

292.31 Prices

IPA service has two price options: a presort price with 15 price groups (Exhibit 292.31a), and a worldwide nonpresort price (Exhibit 292.31b). Both options offer full service prices (Exhibit 292.31c) for mail deposited at offices other than the drop shipment offices listed in 292.532, and drop shipment prices (Exhibit 292.31d) for mail deposited at one of the drop shipment offices. The per-piece price and per-pound price are shown in Exhibit 292.31a and Exhibit 292.31b. The per-piece price applies to each piece regardless of its weight. The per-pound price applies to the net weight (gross weight minus tare weight of sack or tray) of the mail for the specific price group. Fractions of a pound are rounded to the next whole pound for postage calculation.

Exhibit 292.31a

IPA Prices — Direct Country Sacks and Mixed Country Sacks

 

Price Group	Direct Country Sacks			Mixed Country Sacks
	Per Piece	Full Service Per Lb.	ISC Drop Shipment Per Lb.	Per Piece	Full Service Per Lb.	ISC Drop Shipment Per Lb.
1	$0.43	$7.12	$4.62	—	—	—
2	0.15	6.69	4.19	—	—	—
3	0.42	9.07	6.57	—	—	—
4	0.45	9.52	7.02	—	—	—
5	0.43	9.26	6.76	—	—	—
6	0.44	9.26	6.76	—	—	—
7	0.42	9.00	6.50	—	—	—
8	0.41	9.00	6.50	—	—	—
9	0.33	9.97	7.47	—	—	—
10	0.41	9.20	6.70	—	—	—
11	0.40	9.00	6.50	$0.42	—	$6.83
12	0.15	8.00	5.50	0.16	—	5.78
13	0.16	7.35	4.85	0.17	—	5.10
14	0.15	9.00	6.50	0.16	—	6.83
15	0.12	9.50	7.00	0.13	—	7.35

 

Exhibit 292.31b

IPA Prices — Worldwide Nonpresort Sacks

 

Price Group	Per Piece	Full Service Per Lb.	ISC Drop Shipment Per Lb.
WW	$0.47	$10.98	$8.09

Exhibit 292.31c

IPA M-bag Prices — Full Service

 

Price Group	Full Service Per Lb.
1	$4.60
2	5.20
3	6.10
4	6.10
5	6.10
6	6.10
7	6.10
8	6.10
9	8.10
10	7.65
11	6.10
12	6.90
13	6.70
14	7.45
15	7.35
Note: IPA full service M-bags are subject to the minimum price for 11 pounds.

Exhibit 292.31d

IPA M-bag Prices — ISC Drop Shipment

 

Price Group	5 lbs.	6 lbs.	7 lbs.	8 lbs.	9 lbs.	10 lbs.	11 lbs.	Each Additional Pound
1	$19.30	$19.75	$20.20	$20.65	$21.10	$21.55	$22.00	$2.00
2	25.00	25.60	26.20	26.80	27.40	28.00	28.60	2.60
3	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
4	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
5	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
6	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
7	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
8	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
9	47.75	49.60	51.45	53.30	55.15	57.00	58.85	5.35
10	44.50	46.25	48.00	49.75	51.50	53.25	55.00	5.00
11	30.85	31.85	32.85	33.85	34.85	35.85	36.85	3.35
12	38.75	39.90	41.05	42.20	43.35	44.50	45.65	4.15
13	38.65	39.45	40.25	41.05	41.85	42.65	43.45	3.95
14	44.80	45.95	47.10	48.25	49.40	50.55	51.70	4.70
15	42.50	43.85	45.20	46.55	47.90	49.25	50.60	4.60
Note: IPA ISC drop shipment M-bags are subject to the minimum price for 5 pounds.

292.32 Computation of Postage

Postage is computed on PS Form 3700, Postage Statement — International Mail.

292.321 Computing Worldwide Nonpresort Prices

Compute postage at the worldwide nonpresort price as follows:

1. Multiply the number of pieces in the mailing by the applicable per-piece price.
2. Multiply the net weight (in whole pounds) of the entire mailing by the applicable per-pound price.
3. Add together the two totals in steps 1 and 2.

292.322 Computing Presort Prices

Compute postage at the presorted price as follows:

1. Multiply the number of pieces in the mailing destined for countries in a specific price group by the appropriate per-piece price.
2. Multiply the net weight (in whole pounds) of those pieces by the corresponding per-pound price.
3. Add together the two totals in steps 1 and 2.

292.33 Postage Payment Methods

292.331 General

Postage must be paid by postage meter, permit imprint, or precanceled stamps (see DMM 604).

292.332 Postage Meter

Payments made by postage meter are subject to the following standards:

1. Piece Price. The applicable per-piece postage shown in Exhibit 292.31a or Exhibit 292.31b must be affixed to each mailpiece when paying with a meter. A mailer who has an ICM agreement must affix the applicable per-piece postage as set forth in the ICM agreement.
2. Pound Price. Postage for the pound price portion must be paid either by meter stamp(s) attached to the postage statement or from the mailer’s authorized permit imprint advance deposit account.
3. Postage Endorsement. Each piece must be legibly endorsed with the words “INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY AIRMAIL.”
4. Specifications for Endorsement. The endorsement required in 292.332c must appear on the address side of each piece and must be applied by a printing press, hand stamp, or other similar printing device. It must appear either above the name of the addressee and to the left or below the postage, or adjacent to the meter stamp in either the postal inscription slug area or ad plate area. If the postal endorsement appears in the ad plate area, no other information may appear in the ad plate. The endorsement may not be typewritten or hand-drawn. The endorsement is not considered adequate if it is included as part of a decorative design or advertisement.
5. Unmarked Pieces. Unmarked pieces lacking the postage endorsement are subject to the First-Class Mail International single-piece price.
6. Drop Shipment of Metered Mail. A mailer who wants to enter metered IPA mail at a Post Office facility other than where the meter is licensed must obtain a drop shipment authorization. To obtain an authorization, the mailer must submit a written request to the postmaster at the office where the mail will be entered (see DMM 705).

292.333 Precanceled Stamps

Payments made by precanceled stamps are subject to the following standards:

1. Piece Price. The same denomination of stamp must be affixed to every piece in the mailing.
2. Pound Price. Additional postage is paid at the time of mailing by advance deposit account or meter stamp affixed to the back of the accompanying postage statement.
3. Postage Endorsement. Each piece must be legibly endorsed with the words “INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY AIRMAIL.”
4. Specifications for Endorsement. The endorsement required in 292.333c must appear on the address side of each piece and must be applied by a printing press, hand stamp, or other similar printing device. It must appear either above the name of the addressee and to the left or below the postage, or adjacent to the precanceled stamp. The endorsement may not be typewritten or hand-drawn. The endorsement is not considered adequate if it is included as part of a decorative design or advertisement.
5. Unmarked Pieces. Unmarked pieces lacking the postage endorsement are subject to the First-Class Mail International single-piece price.

292.334 Permit Imprint

Mailers may use a permit imprint for mailings that contain identical weight pieces. Any of the permit imprint formats shown in Exhibit 152.44 is acceptable but must include the “INTL PRIORITY AIRMAIL” rate marking. Postage is calculated as described in 292.32 and is deducted from the mailer’s advance deposit account. Permit imprints must not denote bulk mail, nonprofit, or other domestic or special mail. Mailers may use permit imprint with nonidentical weight pieces only if authorized to use postage mailing systems under DMM 705.

292.4 Mail Preparation

292.41 Addressing and Return Address

IPA mailpieces are subject to the addressing requirements contained in 122, including the requirement of a U.S.-origin return address as defined in 122.2.

1. Exception — Canada: IPA items destined for Canada must have the applicable alphanumeric postcode included in the delivery address. See 122.1k for the address formatting requirements that generally apply to mailpieces sent to Canada.
2. Exception — Direct Country Sacks: IPA items in direct country sacks (see 292.461) are not subject to the interline addressing requirement that is specified in 122.1d. At the sender’s risk, the English translation of the destination post office or city name may be omitted from an address that is printed in Russian, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Japanese, or Chinese characters. An English translation of the country name (for example, Japan) is still required on the individual mailpieces.

292.42 Marking

292.421 Letter-Size and Flat-Size Mailpieces

The sender should mark “PAR AVION” or “AIR MAIL” on the address side of each piece. Alternatively, the user may use a bordered airmail envelope that contains an “AIR MAIL” endorsement.

292.422 Packages (Small Packets)

Items that might be mistaken for another class of mail because of their size, weight, or appearance should be marked “LETTER-POST” on the address side.

292.43 Sealing and Packaging

Mailers must meet the following sealing and packaging standards for IPA mail:

Mixed Country and Worldwide Nonpresort Price. All mailpieces entered at the mixed country and worldwide nonpresort price must meet the sealing and packaging methods for First-Class Mail International service under IMM 244.3 and 244.4.

Direct Country Price. Flat-size mailpieces and small packets entered at the direct country price must meet the sealing and packaging methods for First–Class Mail International service under IMM 244.3 and 244.4. Letter-size mailpieces entered at the direct country price must meet one of the following requirements:

1. The sealing and packaging methods for First-Class Mail International service under IMM 244.3 and 244.4.
2. The physical standards of a machinable letter under DMM 201.3.

292.44 Physical Characteristics and Requirements for All Bundles

The following standards apply:

1. Thickness. Bundles of letter-size mail should be no thicker than approximately a handful of mail (4 to 6 inches thick). Bundles of flat-size mail may be thicker than 6 inches but must not weigh more than 11 pounds.
2. Securing Bundles. Each bundle must be securely tied to withstand normal transit. Placing rubber bands around the length and then the girth is the preferred method of securing bundles of letter-size mail. Plastic strapping placed around the length and then the girth is the preferred method of securing bundles of flat-size mail.
3. Separation of Bundles. Letter-size and flat-size mail must be bundled separately.
4. Facing of Pieces. All pieces in bundles must be faced in the same direction.

292.45 Sortation

292.451 Presort Mailings — General

Follow these steps when preparing IPA presort mail:

1. Full Service. For presort mailings, all mail that is addressed to an individual country and that contains 5 pounds or more must be sorted into direct country bundles and sacked in direct country sacks. Mail that cannot be made up into direct country sacks must be prepared and entered at the worldwide nonpresort price.
2. ISC Drop Shipment. For presort mailings, all mail that is addressed to an individual country and that contains 5 pounds or more must be sorted into direct country bundles and sacked in direct country sacks. All mail that is addressed to individual countries within a single price group and that contains 5 pounds or more must be bundled separately and sacked in mixed country sacks. Mail that ultimately cannot be made up into direct country sacks or mixed country sacks must be prepared and entered at the worldwide nonpresort price.

Note: There are separate preparation requirements for mail to Canada. See 292.47.

292.452 Presorted Mail — Direct Country Bundle Label

A label (facing slip) for direct country bundles prepared for mixed county sacks must be completed and placed on the address side of the top piece of each bundle in such a manner that it will not become separated from the bundle. Bundle labels that are addressed to IPA foreign exchange offices (see Exhibit 292.452) must contain the following:

Line 1: Foreign Exchange Office.
Line 2: Country of Destination.
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location.

Example:

1150 VIENNA FLUG AUSTRIA RBA COMPANY WASHINGTON DC

Note: The pressure-sensitive labels and optional endorsement lines used domestically for presort mail are prohibited for IPA service.

Exhibit 292.452 

IPA Country Price Groups and Foreign Exchange Offices

 

Country	Exchange Office Name	Destination Code	Price Group
Afghanistan	Kabul	KBL	15
Albania	Tirana	TIA	12
Algeria	Alger Gare	ALG	15
Andorra 1			11
Angola	Luanda	LAD	15
Anguilla	The Valley	AXA	13
Antigua and Barbuda	St. John’s	ANU	13
Argentina	Buenos Aires Avion	BUE	13
Armenia	Yerevan	EVN	15
Aruba	Oranjestad	AUA	13
Ascension 1			12
Australia 2	Sydney	SYD	9
Austria	1000 Wien	VIE	11
Azerbaijan	Baku	BAK	15
Azores 1			11
Bahamas	Nassau	NAS	13
Bahrain	Bahrain	BAH	15
Bangladesh	Dhaka Apt	DAC	15
Barbados	Bridgetown	BGI	13
Belarus	Minsk PI 2	MSQ	12
Belgium	Brussels EMC	BRU	11
Belize	Belize City	BZE	13
Benin	Cotonou	COO	15
Bermuda	Hamilton	BDA	13
Bhutan 1			15
Bolivia	La Paz	LPB	13
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo	SJJ	12
Botswana	Gabrone	GBE	15
Brazil	Curitiba	CWB	13
British Virgin Islands	Roadtown	RAD	13
Brunei Darussalam	Bandar Seri Begawan	BWN	14
Bulgaria	Sofia	SOF	12
Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	OUA	15
Burma (Myanmar)	Yangon CME	RGN	15
Burundi	Bujumbura	BJM	15
Cambodia	Phnom Penh	PNH	14
Cameroon	Douala	DLA	15
Canada	See 292.47 Canadian Labeling Information		1
Cape Verde	Praia	RAI	15
Cayman Islands	Grand Cayman	GCM	13
Central African Republic	Bangui	BGF	15
Chad	N’Djamena	NDJ	15
Chile	Santiago Avion	SCL	13
China	Beijing	BJS	14
Colombia	Bogota Aeropuerto	BOG	13
Comoros Islands 1			15
Congo, Dem. Rep. of the	Kinshasa CTT	FIH	15
Congo, Rep. of the	Brazzaville	BZV	15
Cook Islands	Rarotonga	RAR	11
Costa Rica	San Jose	SJO	13
Cote d’Ivoire	Abidjan	ABJ	15
Croatia	Zagreb	ZAG	12
Cuba	Havana Avion	HAV	13
Cyprus	Larnaka Air	LCA	15
Czech Republic	Prague 120	PRG	12
Denmark	Copenhagen INC	CPH	11
Djibouti	Djibouti	JIB	15
Dominica	Dominica APT	DOM	13
Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo	SDQ	13
Ecuador	Quito	UIO	13
Egypt	Cairo Int’l Airport	CAI	15
El Salvador	San Salvador	SAL	13
Equatorial Guinea	Malbo	SSG	15
Eritrea	Asmara	ASM	15
Estonia	Tallinn	TLL	12
Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	ADD	15
Falkland Islands 1			13
Faroe Islands 1			12
Fiji	Nadi	NAN	14
Finland	Helsinki	HEL	11
France (includes Corsica)	Roissy Courrier International	CDG	5
French Guiana	Cayenne	CAY	13
French Polynesia	PPT CTCAIR	FAA	14
Gabon	Libreville	LBV	15
Gambia	Banjul	BJL	15
Georgia, Republic of	Tbilisi	TBS	15
Germany	Frankfurt/M	FRA	4
Ghana	Accra	ACC	15
Gibraltar	Gibraltar	GIB	11
Great Britain (includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and The Isle of Man)	Great Britain	LON	3
Greece	Athens	ATH	11
Greenland 1			11
Grenada	St. George’s	GND	13
Guadeloupe	Pointe-a-Pitre	PTP	13
Guatemala	Guatemala	GUA	13
Guinea	Conakry	CKY	15
Guinea-Bissau	Bissau	OXB	15
Guyana	Georgetown	GEO	13
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	PAP	13
Honduras	Tegucigalpa	TGU	13
Hong Kong	Victoria	HKG	14
Hungary	Budapest 1005	BUD	12
Iceland	Reykjavik	REK	11
India	Delhi Air	DEL	15
Indonesia	Jakarta SH	JKT	14
Iran	Tehran	THR	15
Iraq	Baghdad	BGW	15
Ireland	Dublin	DUB	11
Israel	Tel Aviv-Yafo	TLV	11
Italy	Milan	MIL	7
Jamaica	Kingston	KIN	13
Japan	Narita AP A	NRT	10
Jordan	Amman	AMM	15
Kazakhstan	Almaty PCI-5	ALA	15
Kenya	Nairobi	NBO	15
Kiribati	Tarawa	TRW	14
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (North) 1			14
Korea, Republic of (South)	Seoul IPO	SEL	14
Kosovo, Republic of	Pristina	PRN	12
Kuwait	Kuwait MSC	KWI	15
Kyrgyzstan	Bichkek PI-1	FRU	12
Laos	Vientiane	VTE	14
Latvia	Riga OE Letters	RIX	12
Lebanon	Beirut	BEY	15
Lesotho	Maseru	MSU	15
Liberia	Monrovia	MLW	15
Libya	Tripoli	TIP	15
Liechtenstein 1			11
Lithuania	Vilnius	VNO	12
Luxembourg	Luxembourg Ville	LUX	11
Macao	Macau	MFM	12
Macedonia	1003 SKOP JEB	SKP	12
Madagascar	Antananarivo TRI	TNR	15
Madeira Islands 1			11
Malawi	Limbe	LBE	15
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	KUL	14
Maldives	Male	MLE	15
Mali	Bamako	BKO	15
Malta	Valletta	MAR	15
Martinique	Fort de France	FDF	13
Mauritania	Nouakchott	NKC	15
Mauritius	Port Louis SSR	MRU	15
Mexico	Mexico Aereo DF	MEX	2
Moldova	Kishinev	KIV	15
Monaco	Monaco Post	MON	11
Mongolia	Ulaanbaatar CPO	ULN	14
Montenegro	Montenegro Post	TGD	13
Montserrat	Plymouth	MNI	15
Morocco	Casablanca CCI	CAS	15
Mozambique	CPI Maputo	MPM	15
Namibia	Windhoek	WDH	15
Nauru	Nauru	INU	14
Nepal	Kathmandu	KTM	14
Netherlands	Amsterdam EXP	AMS	8
Netherlands Antilles	Willemstad 3	CUR	13
	St. Maarten 4	SXM	13
New Caledonia	Noumea CTC	NOU	14
New Zealand 5	Auckland	AKL	11
Nicaragua	Managua	MGA	13
Niger	Niamey CNTLC	NIM	15
Nigeria	Lagos	LOS	15
Norway	Oslo Letter Centre	OSL	11
Oman	Muscat	MCT	15
Pakistan	Islamabad IM	ISB	15
Panama	Panama City	PTY	13
Papua New Guinea	Boroko	BOR	14
Paraguay	Asuion	ASU	13
Peru	Lima Transito	LIM	13
Philippines	Manila	MNL	14
Pitcairn Island 1			14
Poland	Warsaw Wer	WAW	12
Portugal	Lisbon Province	LIS	11
Qatar	Doha	DOH	15
Reunion	St. Denis	RUN	15
Romania	Bucuresti C	BUH	12
Russia	Moscow PCI-1	MOW	12
Rwanda	Kigali	KGL	15
Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis	Basseterre	SKB	13
Saint Helena 1			13
Saint Lucia	Castries	SLU	13
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 1			13
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines	Kingstown	KTN	13
San Marino 1			11
Sao Tome and Principe 1			12
Saudi Arabia	Dammam Central Post	DMM	15
Senegal	Dakar	DKR	15
Serbia, Republic of	Belgrad C	BEG	12
Seychelles	Seychelles	SEZ	15
Sierra Leone	Freetown	FNA	15
Singapore	Singapore	SIN	14
Slovak Republic (Slovakia)	Bratislava 090	BTS	12
Slovenia	Ljubljana 1003	LJU	12
Solomon Islands	Honiara	HIR	14
Somalia	Mogadishu	MGQ	15
South Africa	Johannesburg	JNB	15
Spain (includes Canary Islands)	Madrid Airport	MAD	11
Sri Lanka	Colombo	CMB	15
Sudan	Khartoum	KRT	15
Suriname	Paramaribo	PBM	13
Swaziland	Manzini	MTS	15
Sweden	Stockholm Flug	STO	11
Switzerland	Zurich 1	ZRH	6
Syria	Damascus	DAM	15
Taiwan	Taipei	TPE	14
Tajikistan	Dushanbe	DYU	15
Tanzania	Dar es Salaam	DAR	15
Thailand	Bangkok	BKK	14
Togo	Lome	LFW	15
Tonga	Nukualofa	TBU	14
Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain	POS	13
Tristan da Cunha 1			15
Tunisia	Tunis	TUN	15
Turkey	Istanbul OE	IST	12
Turkmenistan	Achgabat PI-1	ASB	12
Turks and Caicos Islands	Grand Turk	GDT	13
Tuvalu 1			14
Uganda	Kampala	KLA	15
Ukraine	Kiev PI-1	IEV	15
United Arab Emirates	Dubai	DXB	15
Uruguay	Montevideo	MVD	13
Uzbekistan	Tashkent	TAS	15
Vanuatu	Port Vila	VLI	14
Vatican City	Vatican City	VAT	11
Venezuela	Caracas	CCS	13
Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh ND	SGN	14
Wallis and Futuna Islands 1			14
Western Samoa	Apia	APW	14
Yemen	Sanaa	SAH	15
Zambia	Lusaka Airmail	LUN	15
Zimbabwe	Harare CSO	HRE	15
1 Direct country sacks are not made to these destinations. Prepare direct country packages and include in mixed direct country sacks labeled to the assigned U.S. Exchange Office listed in Exhibit 292.462. 2 At the mailer’s option, a finer sortation for IPA items addressed to Australia may be used. If this option is chosen, items addressed with postal codes beginning with 0, 1, 2, 4, and 9 and uncoded mail should be sorted and packaged to Sydney. Direct country sacks should be tagged to Sydney as well. Both the three-letter exchange office code (“SYD”) and the country name (“Australia”) should be entered in the "TO" block of PS Tag 178, Airmail Bag Label LC (CN 35/AV 8) (white). Items addressed with postal codes beginning with 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 should be sorted and packaged to Melbourne. Direct country sacks should be tagged to Melbourne as well. Both the three-letter exchange office code ("MEL") and the country name ("Australia") should be entered in the "TO" block of PS Tag 178. 3 Includes Bonaire and Curacao. 4 Includes Saba and St. Eustatius. 5 For all destinations to New Zealand other than Cook Islands. For Cook Islands, see the entry for Cook Islands in this exhibit.

 

292.453 Worldwide Nonpresort Mail — Bundles

IPA mail paid at the worldwide nonpresort price must be made into bundles as defined in 292.44. Letters and flats must be bundled separately, although nonidentical pieces may be commingled within each of these categories. Pieces that cannot be bundled because of their physical characteristics must be placed loose in the sack and do not require labeling (facing slips).

292.46 Sacking Requirements

292.461 Direct Country Sack (5 Pounds or More)

The following standards apply:

1. General. When there are 5 pounds or more of mail addressed to the same country, the mail must be enclosed in a direct country sack. All types of mail, including letter-size bundles, flat-size bundles, and loose items, can be commingled in the same sack for each destination and counted toward the 5-pound minimum. The maximum weight of the sack and contents must not exceed 66 pounds.
2. Direct Country Sack Tags. Direct country sacks must be labeled with PS Tag 178, Airmail Bag Label LC (CN 35/AV 8), and PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail, as follows:
1. PS Tag 178 is a white tag designed to route the sack to a specific country and airport of destination. The mailer must complete the “To” block showing the destination country. Postal Service personnel — not the mailer — must complete the blocks for date, weight, and dispatch information.
2. PS Tag 115 is a pink tag that identifies the mail to ensure it receives priority handling. The mailer must specify the price group on the back of PS Tag 115.
3. Direct Country Sack Label. The sack label must be completed as follows (see Exhibit 292.462 for the list of U.S. Exchange Offices):

Line 1: Appropriate U.S. Exchange Office and Routing Code
Line 2: Contents — DRX COUNTRY
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location

Example:

ISC NEW YORK NY 003 ipa — DRX country ABC STORE ALBANY NY

292.462 Mixed Country Sacks (5 Pounds or More — ISC Drop Shipment Only)

The following standards apply:

1. General. When mail is prepared under the ISC drop shipment option, direct country bundles destined to a specific country that cannot be made up in direct country sacks must be prepared in a mixed country sack. A mixed country sack must be prepared for each price group. Only countries in price groups 11 through 15 are eligible for this price. The maximum weight of the sack and the contents must not exceed 66 pounds.
2. Mixed Country Sack Tags. Mixed country sacks must be labeled with PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail, which identifies the mail to ensure it receives priority handling. The mailer must specify the price group on the back of PS Tag 115.
3. Mixed Country Sack Label. The sack label must be completed as follows (see Exhibit 292.462 for the list of U.S. Exchange Offices):

Line 1: Appropriate U.S. Exchange Office and Routing Code
Line 2: Contents — DRX MIXED
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location

Example:

ISC NEW YORK NY 003 ipa — DRX country ABC STORE ALBANY NY

Exhibit 292.462 

Labeling of IPA Mail to Postal Service Exchange Offices

 

IPA Acceptance Office 3-Digit ZIP Code Prefix	U.S. Exchange Office and Routing Code for Line 1
005, 010–089, 100–212, 214–268, 270–297, 400–418, 420–427, 470–477	ISC NEW YORK NY 003
006–009, 298–339, 341–342, 344, 346–347, 349–352, 354–399, 569	ISC MIAMI FL 33112
424, 430–469, 478–516, 520–528, 530–532, 534–535, 537–551, 553–567, 570–577, 580–588, 600–620, 622–631, 633–641, 644–658, 660–662, 664–681, 683–693, 700–701, 703–708, 710–714, 716–731, 733–741, 743–799, 885	ISC CHICAGO IL 60290
590–599, 821, 832–838, 970–986, 988–999	P&DC SEATTLE 980
800–816, 820, 822–831, 840–847, 893–895, 897–898, 937–961	ISC SAN FRANCISCO CA 94013
850–853, 855–857, 859–860, 863–865, 870–875, 877–884, 889–891, 900–908, 910–928, 930–936	ISC LOS ANGELES CA 900
967–969	P&DC HONOLULU HI 967

292.463 Worldwide Nonpresort Mail Sacks

The following standards apply:

1. General. The working bundles of mixed country mail and loose items must be enclosed in sacks unless other equipment is specified by the acceptance office. Nonpresorted letter-size mail may be presented in trays if authorized by the acceptance office. The maximum weight of the sack and the contents must not exceed 66 pounds.

Note: Working bundles of mixed country mail cannot be enclosed in mixed country sacks.

2. Worldwide Nonpresort Sack Tags. Sack tags for worldwide nonpresort sacks must be labeled with PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail, which identifies the mail to ensure it receives priority handling. The mailer must specify "WW" (for "worldwide") on the back of PS Tag 115.
3. Worldwide Nonpresort Mail Sack Label. The sack label must be completed as follows (see Exhibit 292.462 for the list of U.S. Exchange Offices):

Line 1: Appropriate U.S. Exchange Office and Routing Code
Line 2: Contents WKG
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location

Example:  

ISC MIAMI FL 33112 IPA — WKG ABC COMPANY MIAMI FL

292.47 Mail Preparation for Canada

For letter-size, flat-size, and package-size items destined to Canada, mail must be prepared in separate containers. To qualify for the presort price, the same eligibility requirements apply as for full service (see 293.232) or ISC drop shipment (see 293.233). If the total mailing contains less than 5 pounds of mail for Canada, then the mail qualifies only for the worldwide nonpresort price but may be included with mail for other countries. Mailings that contain only worldwide nonpresort mail for Canada (50-pound minimum) are prepared under 292.453 and 292.463. The preparation requirements of presorted mail to Canada are as follows:

1. Letter-Size and Flat-Size Mail. Letter-size items are prepared in letter trays, either 1-foot or 2-foot, depending on volume. Flat-size items are prepared in flat trays. All items must be faced in the same direction, and all trays must be full enough to keep the mail from mixing during transportation. Do not prepare the content of the tray in bundles. Letter-size and flat-size trays must be sleeved or covered and secured with strapping. The mailer must identify each tray label to show the destination in Canada, the content, and the dispatching U.S. exchange office in the following format (see Exhibit 292.47 for Canadian labeling information):

Line 1: Canadian Destination, U.S. Exchange Office Code
Line 2: Contents
Line 3: Mailer, Mailer Location

Example:  

MONTREAL QC FWD 003 IPA ABC COMPANY NEW YORK NY

In addition, the mailer must complete PS Tag 115, International Priority Airmail. Write “Canada” on the reverse and tape the tag to the tray sleeve. All trays must be banded.

2. Packages. Items that cannot be prepared in trays because of their size or shape must be placed loose in sacks. Mailers must complete PS Tag 115. Write "Canada" on the reverse side of the tag. In addition, mailers must attach a completed PS Tag 178, Airmail Bag Label LC (CN 35/AV 8) (white).

Exhibit 292.47 

Canadian Labeling Information

 

Origin ZIP Code	Exchange Office	Canadian Destination	U.S. Exchange Office Code	Optional Destination Code for Barcoded Tray and Sack Labels
004–005, 010–089, 100–268, 270–297, 400–418, 420–427, 470–471, 476–477	JFK	MONTREAL QC FWD	003	YMQ
298–339, 341–342, 344, 346–347, 349–397, 399, 723	MIA	MONTREAL QC FWD	33112	YMQ
430–469, 472–475, 478–516, 520–528, 530–567, 570–588, 600–631, 633–641, 644–658, 660–662, 664–681, 683–693, 700–708, 710–722, 724–816, 822–831, 840–847, 870–885, 893, 898	ORD	TORONTO ON FWD	60290	For IPA letters and flats: TOR. For IPA packages: YTO. For all ISAL mailings: YTO.
590–599, 821, 832–838, 970–999	SEA	VANCOUVER BC FWD	98158	YVR
820, 894–895, 937–961	SFO	VANCOUVER BC FWD	94013	YVR
850, 852–853, 855–857, 859–860, 863–865, 889–891, 900–908, 910–928, 930–936	LAX	VANCOUVER BC FWD	90899	YVR
967–969	HNL	VANCOUVER BC FWD	96820	YVR

292.5 Mail Entry and Deposit

292.51 Separation by Price Group

The mailer must specify the price group on the back of PS Tag 115 (for example, with “1” for Canada or “WW” for worldwide nonpresort) and must physically separate the sacks by price group at the time of mailing.

292.52 Full Service

Mailings must be deposited at a Post Office facility where bulk mail is accepted and where the mailer holds an advance deposit account or postage meter license.

292.53 Drop Shipment

292.531 General

To qualify for the drop shipment price, mailers must present the mail to one of the locations in 292.532. The mailer must pay postage at the drop shipment location either through an advance deposit account or postage meter license at the serving Post Office facility. As an alternative, mailers who are participating in the plant-verified drop shipment (PVDS) program may have the mail verified, accepted, and paid for at the mailer’s plant or at the origin Post Office facility serving the mailer’s plant if authorized under DMM 705. PVDS mail must be transported by the mailer to the drop shipment location, and the mail must be accompanied by PS Form 8125, Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance.

292.532 Drop Shipment Locations

Drop shipments are available through the following offices:

New York:

JOHN F KENNEDY AIRPORT MAIL CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
JOHN F KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BLDG 250
JAMAICA NY 11430-9998

Florida:

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CTR*
US POSTAL SERVICE
11698 NW 25TH ST
MIAMI FL 33112-9997

MIAMI PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION CTR
US POSTAL SERVICE
2200 NW 72ND AVE
MIAMI FL 33152-9997

Texas:

north texas p&dc
us postal service
951 w bethel rd
coppell tx 75099-8811

Illinois:

JT WEEKER INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CENTER
US POSTAL SERVICE
OHARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
514 EXPRESS CENTER DR
CHICAGO IL 60688-9998

California:

LOS ANGELES ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
5800 w century blvd
los angeles ca 90009-9998

SAN FRANCISCO ISC
US POSTAL SERVICE
2650 BAYSHORE BLVD
DALY CITY CA 94013-1631

*Only plant-verified mail is transported to this facility by the mailer.