Russian Post seeks UPU help to speed up international mail
More than half the international parcels and small packages entering Russia are violating the customs procedures and regulations laid down by the Universal Postal Union, according to Russian Post. The Russian postal service has asked the UPU to remind its members to abide by rules to provide supporting documents with international shipments, detailing shipment contents and value.
The Post said if items don’t include the required information, it “greatly complicates” the customs clearance and processing of international mail.
It hopes that a notice being prepared to send to foreign postal services via the UPU International Bureau will improve the situation, accelerating the passage of parcels from abroad through Russian international postal exchange facilities.
Gennady Kotov, Russian Post’s deputy director, said: “At present, Russia is continuing to receive mail that is subject to customs control that is unlabeled and without a customs declaration.
“In addition, documents are not fully filled and contain errors. Forms CN 22 and CN 23 must be completed accurately and in detail in French, English or Russian – otherwise, customs clearance will be delayed, and the Russian national postal operator cannot guarantee timely delivery of these items,” Kotov warned.
Russian Post said that along with the request made through the UPU, it is also working directly with some of the major foreign posts to see where improvements can be made to the international logistics system, particular when Russians are shipping in items from foreign online retailers.
Most international mail entering Russia does so as unsorted items, arriving at international postal exchange facilities. While this is easier for foreign postal services delivering items to Russia, it means extra work for Russian Post to redistribute correspondence to regional mail plants, increasing processing and transit time, the Post said.
Russian Post has been expanding its network of regional international postal exchanges top cope with rising volumes of international mail, opening new plants in Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo earlier this year, and currently preparing to open another plant in Orenburg later this month.
It has also increased capacity at its Moscow plant, where 600 more workers have been taken on, and at its Bryansk plant where an agreement with Deutsche Post has established a road link between Germany and Russia.
