USPS hikes rates on bulky foreign letters starting next year
Published Date: 4/23/2025
Notice
Summary
The Postal Service is updating prices for small packets and bulky letters coming into the U.S. starting January 1, 2026. This affects businesses and customers sending international mail, with new rates needing approval by May 1, 2025. The Postal Regulatory Commission is asking for public comments by April 24, 2025, to keep everything fair and clear.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Inbound small-packet and bulky-letter rates change
The Postal Service filed new prices for the Inbound Letter Post Small Packets and Bulky Letters product that will take effect on January 1, 2026. This change affects businesses and customers who send international small packets and bulky letters to the U.S.; the Postal Service filed supporting financial workpapers and asked the Commission to review the prices so they can be submitted to the Universal Postal Union before the May 1, 2025 deadline.
Registered mail restricted to documents
The Postal Service proposes to restrict the Competitive International Registered Mail ancillary service so it is available only for Inbound Letter Post Small Packets and Bulky Letters that contain documents, effective January 1, 2026. Senders of inbound letter-post items that contain goods would no longer have Competitive International Registered Mail as an option for those items under this proposed change.
UPU rules require tracked and registered services
The filing reflects Universal Postal Union (UPU) amendments that require offering tracked delivery for inbound letter-post items containing goods effective January 1, 2025, and require offering registered service for inbound letter-post items containing only documents effective January 1, 2026. The Postal Service is proposing minor classification changes to its Mail Classification Schedule to align its offerings with those UPU requirements.
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