Faster Service Promised for Overseas Mail

The Postal Service, hoping to stem a sharp decline in U.S. mail bound overseas, said Tuesday that it will offer large-volume mailers a faster, cheaper international air service later this month.

Postmaster General Albert V. Casey announced plans for International Priority Airmail at the monthly meeting of the Postal Board of Governors, which reported $88 million in surplus revenue during the service’s latest four-week accounting period--$33 million more than expected.

The Postal Service now has an accumulated surplus of $708 million, Casey said, but he noted that significant overall losses are expected from lower volume combined with fixed costs.

International Priority Mail, which applies to all classes of bulk mail, will be available starting May 18 and will take final hold June 16.

“International Priority Airmail will better regular airmail delivery times by at least one day, will cost $6.80 per pound and will be delivered to every country in the world except Canada,” Casey said.

The new service is aimed at stopping the practice of “re-mailing,” in which U.S. businesses send employees overseas with packets of mail to be dropped into the postal systems of other countries.