Via Stars and Stripes

If you’re a service member overseas planning to order the latest smartphone or laptop from the United States, take a second look at your options.

Effective May 16 [Wednesday], new U.S. Postal Service restrictions will ban air shipping of any electronics containing lithium batteries — such as iPads, smartphones and digital cameras — between the United States and overseas locations.

The ban affects hundreds of thousands of service members, foreign service officers and their families who rely on military and diplomatic post office addresses to receive packages.

Consumer electronics affected under new restrictions (via Stars and Stripes):

•      Digital cameras
•      Video cameras
•      Laptop computers
•      Tablets
•      MP3 players
•      Scanners
•      Cell phones/smart phones
•      GPS devices
•      Radio-controlled toys
•      Blue-tooth headsets
•      Walkie-talkies/two-way radios
•      Power drills
•      Portable DVD players
•      Electric shavers
•      Electric health measuring devices, such as a blood-pressure monitor

Read in full here from the Stars and Stripes.

Here is part of the notice from the US Postal Service:

Starting May 16, lithium batteries and electronic devices containing lithium batteries will be prohibited from being mailed internationally. They also will not be allowed in shipments to or from Army Post Offices, Fleet Post Offices and Diplomatic Post Offices.

Lithium batteries already are prohibited in mail shipments on international commercial air transportation under International Civil Aviation Organization and Universal Postal Union regulations.

Shippers and mailers are advised that:

• Lithium batteries must be removed from electronic devices to be shipped in international or overseas military mail before the package is submitted for mailing.

• Electronic equipment with non-removable lithium batteries may not be shipped using international or overseas military mail.

• USPS retail associates will begin asking Post Office customers whether lithium batteries are in any international shipments that have batteries or electronic equipment declared as contents on customs labels.

The new regulation will not/not apply to packages containing lithium batteries or electronic devices mailed within the U.S. on domestic commercial air or ground transportation.

According to the Postal Service, international standards have recently been the subject of discussion by the International Civil Aviation Organiza­tion (ICAO) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the Postal Service anticipates that on January 1, 2013, cus­tomers will be able to mail specific quantities of lithium bat­teries internationally (including to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location) when the batteries are properly installed in the personal electronic devices they are intended to operate.

“Until such time that a less restrictive policy can be implemented consistent with international standards, and in accordance with UPU Convention, lithium batteries are not permitted in international mail.”

Related articles

• USPS lithium battery overseas mailing ban begins May 16 (electronista.com)
• USPS to halt all shipments of iPads, Kindles to overseas troops, consumers (digitaltrends.com)
• U.S. Post Office Bars Shipment Abroad Of Gadgets With Lithium Batteries: No Laptops, iPads For Troops Overseas (huffingtonpost.com)
• USPS To Stop Delivering iPads And Kindles To Troops And Overseas Consumers On May 16 (fastcompany.com)
• USPS Banning International Shipments of Most Battery-Powered Gadgets May 16 (pcmag.com)
• USPS to ban overseas shipments on tablets, smartphones, more (news.cnet.com)