Other: USPS Eliminates Surface Mail for Overseas Shipping (Sign Petition!)

As Becky wrote in a message to the list, "This is important for anyone who will be shipping books internationally from the US. The shipping rates have skyrocketed due to the elimination of surface mail (and M-bags in particular). Members of the H-ASIA listserv have started a petition to challenge the Postal Service's decision. If interested, please feel free to sign this online petition."

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"US POSTAL SERVICE ELIMINATES SURFACE SHIPPING OUTSIDE THE US: Many of you have generously collected and shipped critically important books (M Bags), school, medical, and craft supplies to ----. There is no other method of shipping items [outside the USA] other than by post--or personal delivery by a traveler. In the recent postal rate hike--the USPS has eliminated all surface and therefore 'reasonable' cost shipping outside the US. I was astounded when I presented an "M" Bag of science books at the Post Office to be told that my 30 pound box would not cost $30 but would cost $167 instead!

A group of individuals and organizations conducting various types of aid efforts around the world have been hit hard by this change and have banded together to try to find a way to accomplish our mission statements. ... [We hope to alert other interested parties regarding the problems resulting from ]the loss of the "M" Bag and small packet surface shipments outside the US."

For more information contact Shannon Brown and Lance Cole at
zikomo@easystreet.com
http://www.petitiononline.com/zikomo/petition.html