Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 664 | Classification | MPHPT-(1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | June 16, 2003 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Cabinet Office |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications | Related Laws | Postal Law |
| Complainant | Domestic firm | Exporting Countries | USA France |
| Subject | Revision of the condition for standard-size mail items, setting greeting-card rates, etc. | ||
| Description of Complaint | 1 In Europe and the United States, there are many excellently designed greeting cards of diversified size and shape due mainly to the fact that postal rates are lower than in Japan. However, these greeting cards are not well received by Japanese consumers, as they are treated as non-standard-size items and priced higher at 120 yen. This constitutes an import barrier. 2. Under the Japanese postal rate structure for international airmail, birthday cards and Christmas cards of up to 25 grams, even if they are not standard size, are priced at the same rate as standard-size mail items. As a result, it is possible to send a card abroad at a cheaper price than sending the same card within Japan. For instance, sending a card to an Asian country costs 90 yen, while the domestic postage of the same card is 120 yen. 3. In order to make it possible to send greeting cards of diversified size and shape at a cheaper price, the following measures should be taken; (1) The condition for standard-size mail items or the postage of non-standard-size items should be revised, or (2) a greeting-card postage should be established just as in the case of international air mail. |
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| Details of Measures | The ministry replied as follows: The postage of letter-post items is set by Japan Post subject to approval by the Minister of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications. If certain conditions are met, the minister gives approval.(Article 75-2 of the Postal Law (Law No. 165 of 1947)) One of the approval conditions is that the postage of first class mails (excluding lettercards) whose size and shape meet the standards set by ministerial ordinance and whose weight is less than 25 grams should not exceed the price (80 yen) set by a ministerial ordinance. This standard sets the ceiling on the postage of first class mail of a certain size, shape and weight in view of the important role played by mail delivery services in national life. It does not mean that Japan Post is legally restricted to set postages at levels higher than the standard. To be more precise, Japan Post has set a postage of 90 yen for first class mails weighing more than 25 grams and up to 50 grams as standard-size items. Therefore, expanding the condition for standard-size mail items and lowering the postage for standard-size items or setting a postage for greeting cards as requested by the complainant are not restricted under the Postal Law. |
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| Classification of Processing | Processed (February 20, 2004) |
Directions | IV |
| Remarks | A written reply was made on June 19, 2003. | ||