USPS Proposes Changes To Marketing Mail Requirements 

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding new mailing limitations for marketing mail. The proposed change would limit marketing mail to content that is paper-based or printed matter. No products of any type would be allowed, regardless of the item's value. If approved, this new rule would eliminate magnets, buttons and a variety of other items often included in marketing mailers. Any object that cannot be sent as a letter size or flat piece would not qualify for mailing via USPS marketing mail and sending would require using another method such as Parcel Select or Priority Mail. A wide variety of organizations including small businesses and nonprofits would be deeply harmed by this proposed limitation to the USPS mailing standards. Please reach out to the USPS manager for product classification at ProductClassification@usps.gov , and use the subject line "USPS Marketing Mail Content Eligibility" to share your concerns about this proposed rule. To use a pre-written letter via the PPAI Law website, please click here.

If Price Increases of 25% or more will hurt your business, tell them about it.

PPAI has joined 21 other trade associations to participate in the public commenting period related to the Section 301 tariff proposals. The commenting period expired September 6 and allowed interested parties to respond to the third tranche of import tariffs under the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) Section 301 investigation. The commenting period also requested feedback regarding the proposed rate increase from 10 to 25 percent. The letter noted the U.S. already imposes tariffs on the items outlined in the tariff list, including baseball hats, backpacks and a wide variety of other consumer products. The letter also pointed out how the tariff increases would raise prices for American consumers and threaten U.S. jobs in the process. PPAI is on the record opposing any tariff proposals. Due to the rise in consumer prices that results when tariffs are applied to products, tariffs are effectively a tax on consumers. PPAI LAW has a series of pre-populated letters that can be sent to local members of Congress. Click here to inform your elected officials about the negative impact tariffs would have on the promotional products industry.