The U.S. Postal Service said Friday that parcels delivered in the European Union that are subject to Customs duties and taxes will be assessed an administrative fee of only 9.50 euros ($9.44) for customs clearance. This is a reduction from the 17 Euros ($16.88) that was previously charged.
The lowered fee amends the postal service's year-old agreement with Royal Mail's pan-European parcel delivery company, General Logistics Systems, for the delivery of Global Airmail Parcel Post to 23 countries and Global Express Mail to six countries in Europe.
Under the deal, the USPS sends all Global Express Mail and Global Air Parcel Post packages in Europe to Frankfurt, Germany, where Royal Mail takes delivery. GLS then delivers the packages throughout Europe. The partnership lets the USPS use a single point of contact for Europe.
