People sending small parcels or express mail to the US would have to pay more in postage starting on March 8 due to a decrease in flights to the country and because the US Postal Service has raised delivery costs for small packages, Chunghwa Post said yesterday.
Airlines have since last year dramatically reduced international flights as many countries have imposed strict border control measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the postal company said, adding that this has caused air transport fees to major destinations during peak times to be four times higher than in 2019.
The US in July last year raised the delivery rates for small packages and announced that it would adjust the delivery charges for packages and express mail annually, Chunghwa Post said.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
“For years, we have not adjusted postage for international mail and packages. However, the operational cost has drastically risen to the point that it has threatened the sustainability of the nation’s postal service,” the company said in a statement.
In view of rising operational costs, Chunghwa Post said that it would begin charging an emergency surcharge for international mail and packages, adding that any postage adjustment plan and the countries affected by it would be announced at least one month before the change takes effect.
Postage adjustments, which are calculated based on the number and weight of packages and mail, would mainly involve raising the price for lighter packages but reducing it for heavier packages, it said.
The new postage price for a small air parcel to the US, for example, would cost NT$130 if it weighs 100g or less, up from NT$53. However, the postage price for an air parcel weighing 500g would drop from NT$253 to NT$238.
Postage prices for mail and packages to be delivered through express services would increase across the board, with additional costs ranging from NT$100 to NT$500, depending on the weight, the company said.
For details about the new price scheme, visit Chunghwa Post’s Web site at www.post.gov.tw.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday condemned Chinese and Russian authorities for escalating regional tensions, citing Chinese warplanes crossing the Taiwan Strait’s median line and joint China-Russia military activities breaching South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) over the past two days. A total of 30 Chinese warplanes crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern airspace in coordination with 15 naval vessels and three high-altitude balloons, the MAC said in a statement. The Chinese military also carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” targeting Taiwan on Thursday evening, the MAC said. On
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday confirmed that Chinese students visiting Taiwan at the invitation of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation were almost all affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). During yesterday’s meeting convened by the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) asked whether the visit was a way to spread China’s so-called “united front” rhetoric, to which MAC Deputy Ministry Shen You-chung (沈有忠) responded with the CCP comment. The MAC noticed that the Chinese individuals visiting Taiwan, including those in sports, education, or religion, have had increasingly impressive backgrounds, demonstrating that the
MILITARY EXERCISES: China is expected to conduct more drills in the region after President William Lai’s office announced he would stopover in Hawaii and Guam China is likely to launch military drills in the coming days near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming trip to the Pacific and scheduled US transit as a pretext, regional security officials said. Lai is to begin a visit to Taipei’s three diplomatic allies in the Pacific on Saturday, and sources told Reuters he was planning stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam in a sensitive trip shortly after the US presidential election. Lai’s office has yet to confirm details of what are officially “stop-overs” in the US, but is expected to do so shortly before he departs, sources
Tasa Meng Corp (采盟), which runs Taiwan Duty Free, could be fined up to NT$1 million (US$30,737) after the owner and employees took center stage in a photograph with government officials and the returning Premier12 baseball champions at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Monday evening. When Taiwan’s national baseball team arrived home fresh from their World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 championship victory in Tokyo, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) was at the airport with Chinese Professional Baseball League commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) to welcome back the team. However, after Hsiao and Tsai took a photograph with the team, Tasa Meng chairwoman Ku
RSS