by surface mail only, and without prepayment of additional postage. Indication of a foreign return address on registered or certified letter mail will be deemed to constitute a request on the part of the sender that the letter is to be forwarded to the foreign return address if it is not deliverable at the United States address. It further indicates that the sender thereby agrees in case of loss of a registered letter after dispatch from the United States to adjustment of indemnity in accordance with the provisions of § 162.2 of this chapter, irrespective of the amount of registry fee paid. Articles or packages containing merchandise are held by the post office of address and a report sent to the Department as provided in § 131.8(b) of this chapter. Treat other undeliverable domestic articles with foreign return addresses as dead mail. (See § 48.7 (b) (1) of this chapter.)

(c) Ship passenger and crew mail(1) As an alternative to the provisions of paragraphs (b) of this section and § 114.3 (b) of this chapter, ordinary (unregistered) articles of correspondence (except those which appear to contain merchandise) addressed to crew members or passengers on board a ship may be forwarded in the international mail, by surface or air, in one envelope addressed to a ship or travel agency under the following conditions:

(i) The envelope in which the articles are to be forwarded shall be approximately 9 inches by 6 inches in size, and shall be supplied by the sender. Do not put postage on this envelope but place the following endorsement in the upper right corner of the envelope:

THIS ENVELOPE CONTAINS PREPAID LETTERS FORWARDED IN BULK BY AUTHORITY OF ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL, BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION. ANY REQUIRED ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE HAS BEEN AFFIXED TO THE ARTICLES ENCLOSED.

(ii) The envelope must be presented unsealed at the mailing office for check of the contents. Any additional postage required must be paid on each of the articles enclosed, as follows:

(a) Articles of United States origin. Pay on each article the difference between the postage already paid and the appropriate international rate (surface or air) to the new country of destination.

(b) Articles originating in other countries. If envelope is to be forwarded by air, place full air postage from the United States to the new country of des

tination on each article enclosed. No additional postage is required if the envelope is to be forwarded by surface

means.

(iii) If the envelope is intended to be transmitted by air, place a blue Par Avion/By Air Mail label 55 in the upper left corner of the envelope immediately below the return address of the sender.

(iv) The total weight of the forwarding envelope and its contents is limited to 18 ounces.

(2) The accepting employee must check the envelope to see that any necessary additional postage has been paid on each article, cancel any additional postage placed on the articles, and seal the envelope. The accepting employee will apply the office date stamp and his initials immediately below the sender's endorsement prescribed in subparagraph (1) (i) of this paragraph.

[26 F.R. 8703, Sept. 19, 1961, as amended at 27 F.R. 2688, Mar. 22, 1962, 29 F.R. 7934, June 23, 1964, 30 F.R. 13869, Nov. 2, 1965] § 113.5

Return.

(a) Customs clearance and delivery fees. (1) Post offices will collect a fee of 13 cents from the addressee of every postal union article, other than a small packet, on which customs duty or internal revenue tax is collected. On every small packet on which is collected, duty or revenue tax, the fee is 33 cents for each packet. The fees apply also when post office service is rendered for formal entry articles on which importers pay the customs charges directly to the customs service. The fees are retained by the Postal Service, and are accounted for by affixing postage due stamps to the articles or packets and canceling. § 151.5(e) of this chapter concerning recording and reporting duty collections.

See

(2) These fees are authorized by international postal convention as reimbursement to the Postal Service for the work it performs in clearing mail articles through customs and for delivery to the addressees.

(3) The appropriate fee is collected on each article on which duty or tax is paid by the addressee even if several articles are covered by a single mail entry form.

(4) These fees are not refundable by the Postal Service even though the Customs Service may later refund the duty paid by the addressee.

(5) Post offices will not collect the fees in the following cases:

(i) On dutiable matter from the Canal Zone or from overseas United States military post offices.

(ii) On packages assessed with duty which are delivered without collection of duty under § 151.5 (d) (4) of this chapter. If postage due stamps were pasted on the package and canceled at the time the package was assigned for delivery, the carrier shall mark the stamps "Voided" and allow them to remain on the package. See § 151.5(d) (4) (iv) of this chapter concerning crediting carrier with the value of the unreturned postage due stamps.

(b) Shortpaid mail. Post offices will collect from the addressees of shortpaid letters and post cards the amount indicated in United States currency by the receiving exchange office. The amount is accounted for by affixing and cancel

ing postage due stamps, and is retained by the postal service. Postage due ratings can be verified from § 168.2 of this chapter and inquiries may be directed to the International Service Division, Bureau of Transportation and International Services, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260.

(c) Invalid foreign postage. Foreign mail, bearing invalid postage is accompanied by international Form C 10 issued in the country of origin, and is rated as unpaid. The addressee is asked to pay the postage due, to disclose the name and address of the sender, and to surrender the envelope. The post office will send the envelope after delivery, or the entire article if the addressee refuses it, with the Form C 10 to the International Service Division, Bureau of Transportation, Post Office Department, Washington 25, D.C., with the name and address of the sender if disclosed by the addressee.

(d) Storage. The post office will collect 15 cents for each day until delivery is made, beginning on the sixth working day after first delivery attempt has been made or first notice of available delivery has been issued to the addressee, of (1) any package exceeding one pound in weight classed as printed matter, commercial papers or small packet, and (2) any dutiable letter package regardless of weight. The conditions prescribed in § 122.1(c) of this chapter for incoming parcel post packages also apply to the foregoing.

(e) AO mail containing letters. When a personal communication is found in an AO article, the office discovering it will mark the cover and rate the article for collection of postage due in the same manner as prescribed in §122.1 (d) of this chapter for letters found in parcels.

(f) Returned mail. Post offices will collect charges on returned mail as follows:

(1) From the senders of 8-ounce merchandise packages (see § 112.8 of this chapter) the required postage at the surface rate, whether the packages were originally mailed by surface or by air.

(2) On returned second-class publications mailed to Canada by publishers or registered news agents, 2 cents for the first 2 ounces and 1 cent for each additional ounce.

(3) From the sender of any article returned through a deadletter branch, 10 cents.

(4) Any other charge indicated by the exchange office.

[26 F.R. 8703, Sept. 19, 1961, as amended at 28 F.R. 4252, Apr. 30, 1963, 29 F.R. 3518, Mar. 19, 1964, 30 F.R. 7749, June 16, 1965]

§ 114.2 Foreign markings instead of stamps.

Some articles of foreign origin do not bear postage stamps but are marked Postage Paid, "Taxe perçue", "Port Payé", "TP" or "PP", with postmark. The marking "On Her Majesty's Service" or "O.H.M.S." is also sometimes used. This mail is treated as prepaid. [29 F.R. 8009, June 24, 1964]

§ 114.3 Forwarding.

(1)

(a) Within the United States. Articles received by surface may be forwarded by surface and articles received by air may be forwarded by air, without an additional postage charge or fee, unless the envelope or wrapper bears a notation forbidding its being forwarded.

(2) Second-class publications from Canada are treated in accordance with § 48.2(b) (1) through (3) of this chapter. A periodical publication from any other country whose delivery requires that it be forwarded to another local address or to another post office shall be forwarded and the addressee shall be requested to notify the publisher of his new address. If the publication is still being received three months after the change of address occurs, the post office of original address will send a complete copy, with a notation of the new address of the addressee, to the International Service Division, Bureau of Transportation and International Services, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260, for attention of the sender through the postal authorities of the country of mailing. Thereafter, any copies received with the old address shall be disposed of as waste, except that publications bearing the request of sender for return shall be endorsed "Moved", "Not Forwardable" and returned to origin.

(b) To another country. (1) Articles can be forwarded on condition that the country of destination accepts mail of the classification involved. Articles received by either surface or air, which do not bear instructions forbidding their being forwarded, are forwarded by surface without an additional postage charge or fee. United States postage at the airmail rate to the country concerned must be paid on any article that is for

warded by air. Cross out the Par Avion label or endorsement on an airmail article that is forwarded by surface. See § 113.4 (b) and (c), and § 121.8(b) concerning forwarding of domestic mail.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (a) (2) of this section apply in the case of periodical publications addressed to persons who have filed change of address to another country.

A legible post

(c) Backstamping. mark is applied to the back of letters and to the front of postcards when received missent and to articles and cards returned to origin or forwarded.

[26 F.R. 8704, Sept. 19, 1961, as amended at 29 F.R. 7934, June 23, 1964]

§ 114.4 Undeliverable articles.

(a) Retention period. Post offices will hold articles at disposal of addressees for 30 days, except in the following cases:

(1) Articles bearing senders' requests for return within a specified time not exceeding 2 months.

(2) Articles bearing no time limit for their return, when there is good reason to believe they can be delivered to the addressee if held for a period not exceeding 2 months. These articles shall be marked "Specially held for delivery".

(3) Articles positively known to be undeliverable. These shall be treated as undeliverable immediately unless they bear the sender's request specified in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph.

(b) Disposal. Undeliverable mail will be sent by surface means (including airmail articles, after crossing out Par Avion label or other airmail markings) to the exchange office for return to origin, except as follows:

(1) Ordinary (unregistered) prints of no value which do not bear request for return and the name and address of the sender are disposed.

(2) Canadian second-class publications. These will be treated as prescribed in § 48.2(b) (1) and (3) of this chapter.

(3) Canadian and Mexican articles of all classifications not covered by paragraph (a) of this section and not bearing sender's name and address are sent to the dead letter office for disposal.

(c) Postage-due matter. Articles bearing postage-due stamps are forwarded or returned depending on the particular treatment necessary for such articles.

(d) Storage charges. Storage charges due on postal union articles are canceled

115.1 115.2 115.3 Mailings with U.S. postage not paid. 115.4 Report of incoming mailings.

U.S. postage rates required.

Mailings with U.S. postage paid.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 115 issued under R.S. 161 as amended; 5 U.S.C. 22, 39 U.S.C. 501, 505; Article VI of the Final Protocol of the Universal Postal Convention.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 115 appear at 26 F.R. 8704, Sept. 19, 1961, unless otherwise noted.

§ 115.1 U.S. postage rates required.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention, mailings to addressees in the United States or its possessions in excess of 10,000 pieces during a 30-day period made in another country by or on behalf of any person or firm whose residence or place of business is in the United States will be returned to origin unless the sender pays the applicable U.S. postage on the total number of pieces involved.

(envelope and contents) to the International Service Division, Bureau of Transportation, Post Office Department, Washington 25, D.C., with a statement as to the number of pieces to be mailed, when and where the mailing will take place, and a check to cover the amount of the applicable U.S. postage. Checks will be made payable to the Post Office Department. Notification of postage acceptance and approval of mailing will be given by the Department to the sender and to the appropriate U.S. receiving exchange offices which will permit the articles in the mailing to go forward to the addressees without delay and without the necessity for U.S. postage stamps being placed on the individual pieces.

§ 115.3 Mailings with U.S. postage not paid.

A mailing subject to § 115.1 received without prepayment of U.S. domestic postage will be held at the exchange office of receipt, and the U.S. sender will be requested to pay the postage. After payment of the required amount, the mailing will be allowed to go forward; if not paid, it will be returned to the country of origin.

§ 121.2 Packing, preparing, and mailing.

(a) Packing—(1) In general. (i) Every parcel shall be securely and substantially packed, having regard to the nature of the contents and climatic conditions, the length of the journey, and the numerous handlings and risks of concussion to which parcels for foreign destinations are unavoidably subjected en route.

(ii) Packages must be packed in canvas or similar material, double-faced corrugated cardboard boxes, solid fiber boxes or cases, thick cardboard boxes, or strong wooden boxes made of lumber at least a half-inch thick or plywood of at least three plies. Ordinary pasteboard

containers are wholly inadequate. Although it is permissible to use heavy wrapping paper or waterproof paper as the outside covering, for instance, of a carton, it shall not be used as the only covering of the contents. Boxes with lids screwed or nailed on and bags closed by sewing may be used provided they conform to other conditions prescribed. Heavy objects such as cans of food must be surrounded with other contents or packing material so that they cannot shift within the parcels.

(iii) The responsibility of properly enclosing, packaging, and sealing parcels in the international mails rests with the sender, and the Postal Service will not assume liability for loss, rifling, or damage arising from defects which may not be observed at the time of mailing.

(iv) For illustrations regarding recommended packaging, see Part 11 of this chapter.

(2) Specific articles. (i) Fragile articles for overseas destinations shall be packed in a strong (preferably wooden) box. Strong solid fiberboard or doublefaced corrugated fiberboard boxes of not less than 200-pound test if enclosed in strong wooden crates, or 275-pound test if used without crates, are acceptable. A space of at least 2 inches must be left between the articles and the top, bottom, and sides of the box, to be filled with sufficient cushioning material to protect the articles.

(ii) All mailable liquids and substances which easily liquefy must be packed in two receptacles. Between the first (bottle, flask, etc.) and the second (box of metal, strong wood, strong corrugated cardboard, strong fiberboard, or receptacle of equal strength) there shall be left a space to be filled with sawdust, bran, or other absorbent material in sufficient quantity to absorb all the liquid contents in the case of breakage. Excelsior does not possess the necessary absorbent quality to meet the special requirements cited for internal packing. In the case of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland, Leeward Islands, Malaya, and Windward Islands, the outer receptacle shall be of strong wood or metal. Metal containers closed with a screw-top cover must have sufficient screw threads to require at least one and one-half complete turns before the cover will come off and be provided with a washer so as to prevent possible leakage of the contents. Compression or friction

top metal containers must be soldered in four different places, equally spaced.

(iii) Dry noncoloring powders must be enclosed in boxes of metal, wood, or strong corrugated cardboard, placed in turn in a closely woven cloth bag or heavy kraft paper sack. Powder dyes must be enclosed in strong metal boxes, securely closed, and placed in turn in another box of wood or strong corrugated cardboard, with sawdust or other absorbent or protective material between the inner and outer containers.

(iv) Eggs addressed for delivery in all other countries (except Canada), must be placed in a metal egg container, and each egg in the square pockets must be surrounded with paper, excelsior, cotton, straw, or other similar material, while the metal egg container in turn must be enclosed in an outer container of wood with sufficient excelsior, straw, or similar material provided in the space between the inner and outer containers.

(v) Eggs destined for delivery in Canada may be packed either in the manner prescribed above or in wooden, papier-mache, or other box of a rigid material with a well-fitting tightly adjusted lid. Each egg must be wrapped in newspaper or other protecting material and placed on end, the vacant space in the box to be filled with newspaper or other packing material so as to prevent the eggs from striking together or against the sides, top, or bottom of the box.

(3) Sealing. Parcels for certain countries must be sealed. To other countries sealing is compulsory for insured or registered parcels, optional for others. (See individual country items § 168.5 of this chapter.) Patrons must seal parcels by means of wax, gummed paper tape, nails, screws, sewing, wire or metal bands, or other adequate means which will permit detection of any attempted depredation.

(b) Dimensions and weight limits(1) General dimensions. Greatest length, 31⁄2 feet; greatest length and girth combined, 6 feet. Length and girth combined means the measurement of once the length, plus twice the width, plus twice the depth. See § 25.3 of this chapter for illustration of method of measuring parcels.

(2) Dimensions of special articles. The usual method of measuring parcels, as described in § 25.3 of this chapter is not adaptable in the case of tires of all kinds, coils of rope, hose, wire, etc., form