Speed, cost, quantity, and content are criteria used to determine the best method to send your international mail. Please visit the customer service windows at the Contract Station for assistance with mailing international letters and packages.

Choosing the proper service class can save money while meeting your service objectives. Delivery standards, weights, and regulations vary by country. International mail weighing 16 oz. or more requires a Customs Form. The USPS has reclassified all of their international services into four new Global categories.

Global Express Mail (EMS)...

Is a reliable high-speed service for mailing time-sensitive items to more than 175 countries. EMS shipments are insured against loss or damage up to $100 at no additional cost. Additional insurance up to $5,000 may be purchased for $1.05 per $100. Maximum weight limit varies by country from 22 pounds to 70 pounds, but most countries have a 44-pound limit. Shipping weights and destination determine postage costs. A special label is required to send this class of mail, (see the supply order section to receive necessary supplies). Unlike domestic Express Mail, EMS does not offer a money-back service guarantee.

Global Priority Mail (GPM)...

Is an accelerated airmail service that provides a reliable and economical means of sending correspondence, business documents, printed matter, and light weight merchandise to 51 current countries (see Country List). Shipping weights and destination determine postage. Delivery averages three to five days depending on delivery area.

Global airmail and Global Economy make up the final two international mail classes. They are each split into two subcategories, Letter-Post and Parcel Post. Global Air mail will receive the same service as previous airmail classes. Global Economy will receive the same service as old surface classes.

Letter-Post...

Is a generic term that encompasses all of the classes of international mail that were formerly categorized as letters, cards and other articles. This includes letters and letter packages, postcards and postal cards, aerogrammes, printed matter, and small packets.

Letter-post items have the following characteristics:
a. They have different shapes, sizes, and contents.
b. They weigh 4 pounds or less.
c. They are subject to the provisions of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Convention.

Letter-post items can be sent as either airmail or economy (surface) mail. They may contain any mailable matter that is not prohibited by the destination country, and at the sender’s option, they may be prepared in the form of a “self-mailer” (i.e., without being enclosed in an envelope or wrapper). Such items must have all open sides secured with tape, tabs, or wafer seals to prevent them from opening during postal handling. Special services such as registry, recorded delivery, return receipt, and restricted delivery may be added on a country-specific basis.

Parcel Post...

Is sometimes referred to as “CP” mail because that is the widely used abbreviation for the French term colis postaux, which means “parcel post.” It is differentiated from letter-post mail by the fact that it is governed by the provisions of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Postal Parcels Agreement. From a physical standpoint, it is comparable to domestic zone-rated parcel post, because it is designed to accommodate larger and heavier shipments whose size and/or weight exceed the established limitations for letter-post items. Parcel post packages can be entered as either airmail or economy (surface) mail. Although both parcel post classifications are subject to the same regulatory requirements, the substantive differences between them relate primarily to the mode of transportation (i.e., air versus surface), speed of service, and price. The maximum weight limit for parcel post packages varies by country and ranges from 22 pounds to 70 pounds. Insurance coverage is available for parcel post packages mailed to certain countries.