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Declaration made on signature of the Acts On behalf of the United States of America Universal Postal Union 22nd Congress, Beijing 1999 September 14, 1999

Congres-Doc 86.Add 6
Translation from French

"The United States of America supports the terminal dues system as 
adopted by the Beijing Congress, acknowledging it as a significant but 
incomplete measure that moves the system toward a sound economic basis 
for compensating postal administrations. It is the policy of the 
government of the United States of America to pursue vigorously further 
terminal dues reform, which will maintain a viable, efficient and 
universal international mail service, provide proper compensation to 
postal administrations for the delivery costs they incur, and review 
the need for article 40 restrictions. Further, the United States of 
America anticipates that such a system should be adopted no later than 
the year 2005, and substantially earlier for exchanges of mail between 
industrialized countries.

"The United States of America urges the Universal Postal Union to 
collaborate with the World Customs Organization on development of 
principles and standards for non-discriminatory customs clearance for 
both public and private operators. These principles and standards 
should respect the needs of both public and private operators to move 
goods expeditiously and without undue impedance and the needs of 
customs administrations to maintain border controls required to protect 
the public interest. The United States of America is further of the 
view that nothing in the Acts of the Union precludes member countries 
from establishing customs clearance procedures for private operators 
that are comparable to the procedures for public postal operators."

Bl
14.9.1999

[end of document]

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