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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS