International Postage Rates

Dennis Egan, W1UE, writes on the YCCC mailing list:

Effective July 1, International Postage rates for mail destined to the US will rise.  How much depends on what country is doing the mailing, and how much they are currently charging.  What probably is affected the most is the postage cost of parcels under 4.4 pounds mailed from China to the US. Rates for China to USA will roughly double.

These rates, as of now, will NOT be reflected in the rates USPS customers are charged when mailing items internationally.

As part of the Universal Postage Union agreement with the USA, the USA was able to raise rates on incoming mail on July 1; the rest of the world can set their own costs for handling their incoming mail.  The effective day for that is January 1, 2021.

I would anticipate that, early next year, there will be a rate increase for any international mail going from the USA to any country.  How much, no one knows.  Another consequence of the rate change is that the cost for a letter to Europe- which is standard at $1.20 for 1 ounce- could now be different for each European country.

Another forecast is that the increased charges will mean the end of free postage on purchased items.

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