Priority Mail Added as Service Option for Tobacco Shipments to APO/FPO/DPO Destinations

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service is modifying mailing regulations of tobacco shipments from the U.S. to APO/FPO/DPO destinations by expanding shipping options to include Priority Mail service with Delivery Confirmation.

Beginning Aug. 27, customers mailing these items to Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) destinations where tobacco shipments are permissible will have Express Mail Military Service and Priority Mail service with Delivery Confirmation as shipping options.

The addition of Priority Mail service with Delivery Confirmation for the shipment of tobacco to APO/FPO/DPO destinations enables shipments of small amounts of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to service members in war zones and other destinations where Express Mail Military Service is unavailable.

The "Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act" went into effect June 29, and subjects the mailing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to new mailing regulations. Today's announcement modifies only tobacco shipments to APO/FPO/DPO destinations. All other restrictions of the PACT Act remain unchanged.

Packages containing tobacco items addressed to APO/FPO/DPO destinations are restricted to a total weight of 10 ounces or less. Mailers must show proof of legal age to purchase tobacco at the time of mailing and confirm the addressee is at least 18 years of age.

Click here to see comprehensive details of current mailing regulations for cigarette and smokeless tobacco mailings that will be updated Aug. 27 with the new APO/FPO/DPO shipping option.

With only a few limited exceptions, the Postal Service no longer accepts or transports packages containing cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products. The general mailability ban extends to cigarettes, "roll-your-own tobacco" and smokeless tobacco. With the exception of tobacco shipments to APO/FPO/DPO destinations and those entirely within Alaska and Hawaii, tobacco shipments are permitted only via Express Mail service.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service