Tag: North America

USPS offers new larger box with one flat price for shipping (U,S)

Posted by | Feb 21, 2008 | |

The US Postal Service has launched a new box for larger shipments, giving customers three different size and shape options — all with convenient flat-rate pricing — to meet their shipping needs. The new box is 50 percent larger than the current flat-rate boxes. If it fits, it ships, for just USD 12.95 to any U.S. address beginning March 3.

The current flat-rate boxes, introduced in November 2004, give customers a single, predetermined rate regardless of the weight or delivery zone. The new, larger box extends the Postal Service’s line of successful flat-rate offerings, providing more choices for small businesses and consumers.

The new Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box (12″ x 12″ x 5 ½” or nearly 800 cubic inches) will be available in Post Offices nationwide beginning March 3.

Some of the new boxes are co-branded with the logo of America Supports You, a Department of Defense program that connects citizens offering support to the military and their families.

Mail to APO/FPO addresses receive $2 discount

Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Boxes shipped to an APO/FPO destination receive a USD 2 discount, a postal first for the military; either version of the new larger box can receive the discount. The two existing flat-rate boxes (11 ⅞” x 3 ⅜” x 13 ⅝” and 11″ x 8 ½” x 5 ½”), which currently retail for USD 8.95 for U.S. addresses, are not eligible for the military discount. All flat-rate boxes can be used for shipping to international addresses.

All Postal Service Priority and Express Mail packages and envelopes are environmentally friendly, exceeding the highest standards for recyclability.

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USPS grants ecoEnvelopes first ever approval for reusable envelopes breakthrough

Posted by | Feb 20, 2008 | |

ecoEnvelopes have received a key National Customer Ruling from the US Postal Service (USPS). It is the first time USPS has issued such a certification for a line of reusable envelopes and solidifies ecoEnvelopes’ position as a leader in a bold new effort to green the US mail.

The USPS National Customer Ruling is issued after an official testing and approval process. The ruling provides customers with increased confidence that ecoEnvelopes’ unique designs meet the most stringent qualifications for use in the US mail. In 2007, USPS worked closely with ecoEnvelopes in changing the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), paving the way for breakthrough mail solutions of this kind.

By eliminating the need for reply envelopes, ecoEnvelopes helps businesses and organizations meet their social, environmental and marketing objectives. “Using one envelope is simply more efficient and less wasteful than two, and you send the right message with a reusable envelope,” said founder and CEO Ann DeLaVergne, a former organic farmer and beekeeper who created the first ecoEnvelopes by hand in her kitchen as a way to reduce waste. More than 80 billion reply envelopes are sent through the US mail each year.

Eliminating return envelopes saves energy, water, and forest resources and reduces the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Every one million ecoEnvelopes used saves an estimated 250 million BTUs of energy and 37,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses. All ecoEnvelopes are manufactured on certified papers from managed forests using up to 100 pct recycled content.

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Decision costs UPS USD 2.9M in overpaid GST

Posted by | Feb 19, 2008 | |

United Parcel Service Ltd. has received a costly lesson from one of the country’s highest courts: good intentions and tax law don’t mix.

UPS may have been doing customers a good turn by paying upfront for the taxes and duties they owed on parcels shipped into this country from the United States.

But the Federal Court of Appeal has sided with Canada’s tax collector, ruling that UPS isn’t entitled to a rebate for those payments — leaving the company about USD 2.9-million out of pocket.

The decision also means UPS could be on the hook for USD 1.1-million in penalties and interest.

The “problem” centers on two scenarios, both involving mistakes made by either UPS or one of its customers.

In some cases, the parcel company mistakenly overvalued a package’s value, say USD 2,000 instead of USD 200. When the parcel arrived, the customer doesn’t want to pay GST on the overcharged amount– USD 1,800–so UPS either let things slide and swallowed the extra tax, or collected the tax from customers, but credited their account for that overcharged amount.

In other instances, it was the customer who incorrectly valued the package, even though UPS already paid tax on the higher amount. Again, UPS either ignored the overpayment or collected in full, but credited the customer.

UPS then subtracted the shortfall — USD 2.9-million — from its tax bill.
The federal court ruling overturned an earlier decision from Donald Bowman, Chief Justice of Canada’s Tax Court, who said that UPS was entitled to a rebate.

Last summer, UPS lost a long-running trade dispute with Canada Post, arguing that the letter carrier had an unfair advantage over competitors because its courier and express post services relied on a government sanctioned monopoly of sorting facilities, mailboxes and post offices that private firms must provide for themselves.

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FedEx spends USD 5.5M to lobby in 2007

Posted by | Feb 19, 2008 | |

FedEx Corp. spent roughly USD 5.5 million in 2007 to lobby the federal government; according to a disclosure form posted online Thursday by the Senate’s public records office.

The company spent about USD 3.9 in the second half of 2007 to lobby the House of Representatives, Senate and White House on issues related to the federal budget, transportation and energy, according to a disclosure form posted online Thursday by the Senate’s public records office.

FedEx also lobbied Congress on trade agreements with Peru, Colombia and Korea.

FedEx spent USD 1.6 million in the first six months of 2007 to lobby on legislation related to Federal Aviation Administration funding, air cargo security, air traffic control, biofuels, homeland security and visa wavers, among other issues.

Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995.

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