USPS will begin accepting lithium batteries installed into electronics on November 15, 2012

Just in Time for the Holidays, U.S. Postal Service to Begin Global Shipping of Packages with Lithium Batteries. The Postal Service has worked collaboratively with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Universal Postal Union and the Federal Aviation Authority to secure the changes needed to allow international mail shipments containing lithium batteries to begin.

Effective Nov. 15, 2012, Postal Service policies will be changed to allow specific quantities of lithium batteries - when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate - to be sent to many international destinations, including APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.

Items which can be shipped may include: cameras, video cameras, mobile/smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, laptop computers, shavers, portable DVD players, tablets, two-way radios, GPS devices and most other small electronic devices requiring lithium batteries to operate.

Items which cannot be shipped include any lithium batteries not installed in the equipment they are intended to operate. In addition, when installed, they may not exceed the quantity or limits defined in the IMM or DMM.

Domestic shipments of packages containing lithium batteries, and electronic devices containing lithium batteries currently remain unchanged.

The Federal Register final rule, and IMM, DMM and Publication 52 revisions, will be available at pe.usps.com.

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