It’s that time of year when American Legion Auxiliary members are sending care packages overseas to our military who are stationed away from home during the holidays. Our friends with Ship Thrifty are here to help ALA members navigate the complexities that can come with shipping — and make it easier to get packages sent to our military members with ease.
Regulation overview effective Sept. 1:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now require HS codes for all overseas military shipping to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.
Military mail must follow both domestic and international mail requirements (customs declarations are required since these packages are leaving our country, but they receive domestic pricing since they are going to our troops). That means:
✅ A detailed description of each item is critical. Enforcement of this stared July 14, 2024, which made vague descriptions like snacks, toiletries, etc., unacceptable. Packages started being returned for insufficient customs.
✅ Quantity, weight, and value of each item are now required. Previously, the quantity and value were a requirement, and the overall package weight was acceptable. Now there must be weight for each item with a description, and that weight is used to calculate your overall package weight (Ship Thrifty will tally them for you automatically). Based on everything we’ve heard, services that don’t comply aren’t technically compliant. Ship Thrifty modified its system to adhere to the requirements laid out.
✅ HS codes for goods (six digits minimum). Prior to Sept. 1, a detailed description of each item was acceptable for military shipping. The codes are now a required field, but USPS is not enforcing them at this time but could in the future. If they are left off a foreign package, customs authority could potentially review and reject any package. Ship Thrifty currently has a look-up feature and link to search Google for HS codes. They are building a care package specific HS code look-up and will still include the ability to search with Google if you don’t find an item listed.
✅ Country of origin (where it was made) — this is optional for now, but leaving it blank may cause rejection, so USPS suggests including it. Ship Thrifty currently requires this field and defaults the selection to the U.S. since that is what the majority will be. We didn’t want to risk nonrefundable returns for anyone supporting the troops or the families of those serving.
In the spirit of Service, Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security.
