Guam Delegate James Moylan has met with U.S. Postal Service officials pushing for the restoration of the de minimis exemption and addressed delays in Guam-bound mail.
In a release on Thursday, Moylan's office said the delegate raised concerns over the impacts of the new customs and tariff requirements prompted by changes to the de minimis exemption to USPS Government Liaison Director Jennifer Selde.
“These changes are creating additional costs and complications for people simply trying to mail goods from Guam to the mainland,” Moylan said. “We are raising those concerns at the federal level while also working to make the requirements easier for our residents to navigate.”
While the requirements do not apply to regular letters or documents sent through the postal system, it does affect packages, which must have completed customs documentation to be mailed.
Under the new CBP regulation USPS customers mailing items from Guam and other territories except Puerto Rico to the continental U.S., must obtain a Declaration ID and prepay duties. According to the Federal Register duty payments apply regardless of mail class or package weight.
Moylan stressed that the new process burdens Guam residents mailing good to the continental United States.
"In his meeting with USPS, Moylan asked for clearer guidance and greater support for residents navigating Zonos. He specifically requested that the Postal Service explore providing a Zonos kiosk or similar service at Guam post offices, giving residents without smartphones or reliable internet access an alternative way to complete the required steps," Moylan's office said.
Moylan also shared the concern with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who he has asked to reinstate the de minimis exemption for Guam and urged consideration of Guam's unique status as a U.S. territory.
Moylan also raised concern over delayed Guam-bound packages noting the delays could be detrimental to Guam residents who rely on USPS for medications, passports, important documents and other essential items.
"A delayed passport can mean missing travel for a critical medical appointment. A delayed package can mean a veteran waiting for medication," he said emphasizing that reliable mail service is not just a matter of convenience.
According to Guam News Network files Moylan has been actively pursuing an exemption, as an original co-sponsor of Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds' H.R. 5960, the Territorial de Minimis Exemption Act.
The bill seeks to permanently restore the $800 de minimis exemption for packages originating in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The legislation also calls for the federal government to consider the impacts of broad applicability of trade policy changes on U.S. territory residents.
