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[www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29434]
 
 
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POSTAL SERVICE
 
39 CFR Part 20
 
 
International Mail: Product Rate and Fee Changes
 
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
 
ACTION: Final rule.
 
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SUMMARY: On October 11, 2012, the Postal Service filed a notice of 
international mailing services price adjustments with the Postal 
Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on January 27, 2013. On October 
23, 2012, the USPSTM published a proposed rule in the 
Federal Register with changes to Mailing Standards of the United States 
Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg].
 
DATES: Effective January 27, 2013.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Klutts at 813-877-0372.
 
International Reply Coupons
 
    Three respondents supported the discontinuance of selling 
international reply coupons, stating the Postal Service should 
``streamline'' their product offering of low volume items.
    Ninety-one respondents opposed the discontinuance of international 
reply coupons. Of these, 63 respondents identified themselves as U.S. 
amateur radio operators who rely on international reply coupons to 
confirm radio contacts through the exchange of ``QSL cards'' and who 
stated that no other practical way exists for this kind of exchange. 
Some of the other comments from the group of 91 included the following 
statements: (1) ``In many countries, it's either illegal to possess or 
mail foreign currency, or currency is routinely stolen from the mail;'' 
(2) ``In many countries the amateur radio operators do not have funds 
available to answer QSL requests as their income is much lower than we 
consider average in the United States;'' (3) ``There is no alternative 
mechanism to supply foreign correspondents with return postage;'' and 
(4) ``As a minimum, the USPS should continue to sell IRC's at the 
www.usps.com store or through a few dispersed Post Offices that would 
sell them by mail to people beyond reasonable driving distance.''
    As prescribed in the Postal Regulatory Commission's (PRC) Order No. 
1541, the PRC approved the Postal Service's proposal to discontinue 
outbound international reply coupons, while retaining inbound 
international reply coupon service. The PRC determined that the 
proposal to discontinue outbound international reply coupons was not 
inconsistent with the statute, and acknowledged that the small number 
of consumers, such as amateur radio operators, who purchase 
international outbound reply coupons, will no longer be able to do so, 
but they will still have options. For countries to which money orders 
may be sent, once the U.S. sender ascertains (or estimates) the cost of 
sending the QSL card from the foreign country to the U.S., the U.S. 
sender can obtain and send a money order in that amount. Finally, 
senders and recipients may find it more convenient and less costly to 
use an online payment service to transmit the cost of mailing a QSL 
card.