procedure when addressee conditionally refuses a parcel because of the duty assessed and asks to have the matter protested to the customs service. The parcel is held until the customs office renders a decision on the protest, but if no decision is received within 30 days, request the customs office to expedite the decision.

(ii) A parcel bearing the sender's request for delivery to an alternate addressee shall be held 15 days at the disposal of the first addressee and 15 days at the disposal of the second. If the alternate addressee is at another post office, the parcel is forwarded subject to § 232.4(a) of this chapter, and the 15day period begins from the date of receipt at the second office of address. Under the circumstances given in subdivision (iv) of this subparagraph, the parcel may be held for 30 days at the disposal of each addressee.

(iii) A parcel returned from customs custody with advice that the addressee has not complied with required customs entry procedures shall be treated as undeliverable at once.

(iv) On written request of the addressee or other person acting for the addressee, a parcel which remains undelivered may be held up to 60 days on condition that the storage charges due at the end of the first 30-day retention period are paid at the time of the request and that the storage charges which accumulate thereafter are paid every 10 days.

(v) A parcel from Great Britain which bears request to "Return forthwith to sender at sender's expense" shall be returned within 10 days, or immediately if definitely known to be undeliverable.

(2) Directory service. See section 355.171 of the Postal Manual concerning directory service to be accorded parcels of foreign origin.

(3) Marking and disposal. At the end of the retention period prescribed in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, mark parcel and the accompanying dispatch note, if any, to show reason for nondelivery (see section 355.111b of the Postal Manual), and cross out address of the addressee but do not obliterate it entirely. Unless sender has given instructions on the wrapper or dispatch note for abandonment, return the parcel to the sender. Parcels to be returned to senders are dispatched to the appropriate exchange office by surface means, including those originally received by air. The post office of address will cross out the Par

Avion label or other airmail marking. A parcel bearing the sender's instruction to abandon shall be marked. Abandoned and sent to the appropriate dead parcel post branch for disposal, unless it has been assessed with customs duty. In the latter case, send the parcel to the nearest customs port (see § 261.3 (e) of this chapter); detach the customs entry forms and treat as prescribed in § 261.5 (f) of this chapter.

(4) Storage charges. If a parcel to be returned to origin or forwarded to another country has storage charges due, the wrapper shall be marked with the amount so that appropriate action may be taken at the exchange office.

(5) Postage due parcels. If an undeliverable parcel bears postage due stamps, follow the procedure prescribed in sections 335.35 and 335.36 of the Postal Manual.

[32 F.R. 20643, Dec. 21, 1967]

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 241 issued under 5 U.S.C. 301, 39 U.S.C. 501, 505. SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 241 appear at 32 F.R. 12269, Aug. 24, 1967, unless otherwise noted.

§ 241.1 Availability.

Postal union mail of any class may be sent by air, including direct sacks of prints described in § 222.4(f) of this chapter. Parcel post may be sent by air to the countries for which air parcel post rates are shown in the appendix to this subchapter. Generally the weight limits, dimensions, and other conditions (but not postage rates) prescribed for surface mail apply to articles and parcels sent by air. § 241.2

Rates.

(b) Full payment necessary. Postage on airmail must be fully paid to assure dispatch without delay. See §§ 223.2 and 231.6 of this chapter for information on treatment of shortpaid and unpaid matter.

(c) Double or reply-paid postcards. See 222.2(a) (2) of this chapter for postage required to transmit a U.S. replypaid postcard by airmail. If a patron wishes to airmail a foreign reply-paid card to the country represented by the postage on the card he must pay with U.S. stamps the difference between the U.S. surface and airmail postcard rate to the country concerned. If the first or message part of the card is left attached to the reply half, the additional postage required will be the difference between the surface postcard rate and the airmail letter rate to the country concerned. § 241.4 Marking.

(a) Postal union mail. Senders should mark airmail articles in the left corner, immediately below the return address, with the words "Par Avion" in blue color. Post offices may furnish senders with Label 19 for the purpose. Articles which the senders have failed to mark "Par Avion" shall not be returned for marking or be marked by postal employees.

(b) Parcel post. Accepting clerks will place an airmail Label 19 on the address side of each parcel to be sent by air. Paste the label below and to the right of the name of the country destination. If a dispatch note, Form 2972, is required, the airmail label shall be placed on that form also.

(a) Availability and use. Aerogrammes (air letter sheets), which can be folded into the form of an envelope and sealed, may be sent by air to all countries. These sheets bearing imprinted postage, are sold at all post offices at 13 cents each. All parts of the sheets may be used for the sender's message, except the address side. No enclosures are permitted. The use of tape or stickers to seal aerogrammes is prohibited. Aerogrammes may be sent under registration on payment of the required registry fee in addition to the postage.

average not less than 150 to the pound (approximately 9 per ounce) and be similar in size, color, and border markings to the regular form issued by the Post Office Department. They must bear the same printed endorsements on the address and reverse sides as the regular form. In addition, the words “Authorized for mailing as aerogramme-P.O. Permit No.-" (the number to be filled in when issued) must appear in smaller type so they will be visible on the address side and near the lower edge when the sheet is folded for mailing. The quality and strength of the paper must be sufficient to guard against the likelihood of damage in the course of postmarking and handling, and to assure that the writing on the inner side will not interfere with the legibility of the address. Manufacturers must submit 10 samples of proposed aerogrammes to the Director, International Service Division, Bureau of Transportation and International Services, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C. 20260, for approval before engaging in their production. Approved private aerogrammes may be paid at the aerogramme rate, except that to Canada and Mexico they may be paid at the regular airmail letter rate.

is stated under the country item in the appendix to this subchapter. Direct sacks of prints, as described in § 222.4(f) of this chapter may not be registered.

(b) Parcel post. Parcel post packages may be registered only to countries with which there are arrangements for this service. See § 272.2(b) of this chapter and country items in the appendix to this subchapter.

§ 242.2

Preparation by mailer.

(a) Addressing. Mail which bears an address written in pencil or consisting of initials will not be accepted for registration. The address of mail other than that sent in transparent panel (window) envelopes may be written in indelible pencil.

(b) Sealing. (1) Senders must securely seal letters or letter packages presented for registration. Wax or paper seals on envelopes must bear a distinctive mark of the sender and shall be affixed in such a way as to allow sufficient space at the intersections of the flaps for postmarking. Self-sealing envelopes and envelopes or packages that appear to have been opened and resealed will not be registered.

(2) Articles under the classifications of "printed matter, books, matter for the blind, samples of merchandise and small packets," presented for registration, "Must not" be sealed.

(3) Parcel post packages presented for registration "Must" be sealed. See § 231.3 (c) of this chapter as to manner of sealing. Parcels that appear to have been opened and resealed will not be registered.

(c) Declaration of value. The sender must declare the full value of Postal Union mail offered for registration to enable the accepting clerk to identify valuable registered mail for recording purposes. (See § 242.7(a) (3).) Senders presenting valuable mail for registration listed on firm mailing sheets must indicate values opposite the respective entries. The declared value must not be regarded as the amount of indemnity payable in case of loss. See § 272.2(a) of this chapter concerning limits of indemnity for registered Postal Union mail. § 242.3

Fees.

For Postal Union mail, the fee is 75 cents. The same fee applies to parcel post. See country items in the appendix of this subchapter. (See § 272.2 of this chapter for indemnity provisions.)

§ 242.4 Mailing receipts.

(a) Issuance. A receipt is issued to the sender for mail matter accepted for registration to other countries.

(b) Post office handling. (1) Endorse receipts and mailing office record "P.P." to distinguish parcel post from Postal Union mail accepted for registration.

(2) Endorse the receipt and office record "Free" for articles registered free pursuant to § 221.2(d) (i) of this chapter. Endorse "Official Paid or Off. Pd." for articles or parcels registered pursuant to § 221.2(d) (2) (i) of this chapter.

§ 242.5 Return receipts.

(a) Requested at time of mailing. (1) Fee: 13 cents. If the mailer desires that his return receipt be sent back by airmail, the article must be prepaid an additional fee equal to the airmail postage on a single post card to the country of destination.

(2) When the mailer desires a return receipt, the post office will proceed as follows:

(i) Endorse the article on the address side "Avis de reception" (meaning return receipt "or A.R." Add "Par Avion" to the endorsement if the return receipt is to be returned by air and the additional fee prescribed in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph has been paid.

(ii) Complete international return receipt, Form 2865, and attach to article or parcel. The form is gummed so it can be securely attached, and is perforated to facilitate completion and return.

(iii) When the receipt is to be returned by airmail, mark it on the address side "RENVOI PAR AVION" (meaning return by airmail) and attach Label 19 bearing the words "Par Avion."

(iv) Put postage for the return receipt fee, and for the airmail postage if the sender has requested return of the receipt by air, on the registered article and cancel.

(v) Do not include weight of the return receipt in determining the postage.

(b) Requested after mailing. (1) Within a period of 1 year from the day following that on which a registered article or parcel was mailed, the sender, on showing the registry receipt, may request a return receipt. The fee is 25 cents. To have the request for return receipt transmitted by air the sender must pay, in addition to the 25-cent fee, the postage for a one-rate airmail letter to the country of destination. To have the request transmitted by surface and

the return receipt returned by air, the sender must pay the same postage, and to have the request and the return receipt transmitted in both directions by air, he must pay double the airmail letter rate.

(2) The post office will deal with such requests as follows:

(i) Countries other than Canada. (a) Prepare Form 542 and write at the top "Request for return receipt made after mailing." Prepare Form 2865 and forward, with Form 542, to the postmaster at the appropriate adjusting exchange office shown in § 272.2(f) of this chapter.

(b) Put postage for the return receipt fee, and for the airmail postage if the sender has asked that the request be sent by air, on Form 542 and cancel.

(c) When the receipt is to be returned by air, mark Form 542 “A renvoyer par avion" and attach Label 19 bearing the words "Par Avion." Mark the return receipt form "Renvoi par avion" and attach the airmail label.

(ii) Canada. (a) Prepare Form 1510 at all offices and endorse "Request for return receipt made after mailing." Attach Form 2865 and send under official cover to the Canadian District Director of Postal Service in the province in which the office of address is located, as follows:

sender has asked that the request be sent by air, on Form 1510, and cancel.

(c) When the receipt is to be returned by air, on Form 1510, and cancel. subdivision (i) (c) of this subparagraph.

(c) Duplicate receipts. If the sender has failed to receive a return receipt for which a fee was paid, the post office will follow the instructions prescribed in § 242.5(b) (2), without additional fee, but write "Request for duplicate return receipt" at the top of Forms 2865, 542, and 1510.

(d) Completion. Return receipts for registered articles delivered in other countries are completed in accordance with requirements of the country making delivery, which vary according to the country involved. The signature of the addressee is not furnished by some countries, or may be furnished only under specified conditions.

(e) Issued in other countries—(1) Completion. Return receipts from other countries bear the words "Avis de reception." Have the addressee or his authorized agent date and sign the receipt with "Ink or indelible pencil". When signed by an agent of the addressee, have the agent sign the addressee's name followed by his own signature. Postmark the receipt in the appropriate spaces on both sides. "Examine all return receipts to assure proper completion." Return the completed receipt Unenclosed in the ordinary (unregistered) surface mail. If it bears the notation "Renvoi par avion" or a "Par Avion" label, or both, return it by airmail.

(2) Foreign receipt form missing. When it is apparent at the delivery office that a return receipt is desired by the sender of a registered piece of foreign origin and no return receipt form accompanies the article, complete U.S. international return receipt Form 2865, and treat as prescribed in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph. § 242.6

Restricted delivery.

(a) Articles mailed in United States. (1) The mailer may restrict the delivery of registered postal union articles addressed to the following countries on condition that the articles are accompanied with a return receipt and endorsed in the manner indicated: