Say goodbye (at least for now) to dropping by your local US post office and sending a smartphone or tablet to anyone overseas, including those with military post office boxes. If it has a lithium battery in it, you're going to have to a find another way of getting the box out as an international shipment.
The US Postal Service recently banned shipments of electronic products containing lithium batteries, citing risk of fire. Shipwire.com has a list of items that will be affected, with all the popular consumer electronic products mentioned: laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, cameras, MP3 players, Bluetooth headsets, GPS devices, portable DVD players, and even radio-controlled toys.
You can read more about the exact steps the USPS is taking by downloading this report, but the short version goes like this:
Effective May 16, 2012, the Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) section 601.10.20 to codify that primary lithium metal or lithium alloy (non-rechargeable) cells and batteries or secondary lithium-ion cells and batteries (rechargeable) are prohibited when mailed internationally or to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location. However, this prohibition does not apply to lithium batteries authorized under DMM 601.10.20 when mailed within the United States or its territories.
International standards have recently been the subject of discussion by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the Postal Service anticipates that on January 1, 2013, customers will be able to mail specific quantities of lithium batteries internationally (including to and from an APO, FPO, or DPO location) when the batteries are properly installed in the personal electronic devices they are intended to operate.
What's slightly odd about all this is that the USPS seems to be the only organization implementing the rule. Other major logistics companies and national postal offices, as far as I know, will still be shipping devices with lithium batteries.
Although the measure likely won't have a significant impact on volume shippers that typically route large quantities via other logistics companies, such as UPS or FedEx, or by air freight or boat cargo, it does drive home the fact that companies in the high-tech supply chain have to keep a constant eye on local shipping policies, or there could be havoc in the pipeline. It's also a good reminder of why many companies have various shipping warehouses scattered around the planet.
It looks as if end-consumers and those shipping repair units are likely to feel the brunt of the new USPS policy initially. Some small businesses might be hit, too, including online retailers that ship internationally. Will your business be hurt by this? How is your company dealing with the USPS lithium battery ban?
" Surely there's bound to be an option to packaging rather than ban their shipment altogether. It doesn't sound a wise move."
No. There is always an option, if they want to find one. Changing the packaging seems to be the one that would help keep USPS and manufacturers in business.
I reckon the USPS dictate will not affect too many businesses (or indeed individuals) as there are many lower cost shippers available. I was amazed recently how simple and cost effective it is to ship goods via online brokerage services.
The report does highlight many issues within the USPS, but what I was getting to was the fact of having a Congressional oversight and needed Congressional approval to alter any neccesary changes to put the service in the black. While employee health care and pensions continue to plague many companies, the USPS does have a few short term fixes that could stop such serious loss of money, but still needs Congress to say okay.
In fairness, much of the postal service's red ink is actually a statutory reserve ($103 billion worth) mandated for the retirement of future employees. Here's a recent report that really gets down into the weeds.
So how long is it going to take for somebody to start making fake labels that identify products as perhaps "Nickle-metalHydride" or some such? And if the battery pack does not explode or burn up, who would ever know?
Of course it is already possible to pack them safely, but it does add a bit of weight. Fireproof bags and boxes have been around for a while, and it should not be that much of a challenge for the makers to figure out which ones would provide adequate protection against a destrucing battery pack.
Of course they do have the right to refuse to carry them, but they need to understand the actual level of risk in transporting the many batteries that don't explode.
@Susan, the impact of this sort of ban is certainly significant for USPS who is observing the ban and for any other company who intends to join in the ban for that matter. I just wonder if there' some sort of an alternative method of packaging these items without the risk factor raised. Surely there's bound to be an option to packaging rather than ban their shipment altogether. It doesn't sound a wise move.
@Hospice, What I was reffering to regarding Congress was their overall say in the USPS operations. The USPS is hemmoraging billions of dollars. If they were a normal business, they would of been bankrupt and out of business. Congressional oversight has kept them from making crucial changes (no more Saturday deliveries and closures) that would save billions and possibly put the postal service in the black eventually. It would seem like developing a ban on batteries for overseas deliveries is going to cost them millions, and cause customers to use UPS and FedEx.
Natural disasters wreak havoc to the tune of $100 billion in annual damages, says a UN report. To cope, companies need improved risk management strategies.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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