Skip to main content
Import and Export Manual for low value shipments

1.3.6. Postal transit

Postal transit is defined in part I, section 4.2.6, “Postal items”, of the Transit Manual:

  1. Closed traffic. Mail shipments are considered in closed transit when containers are sent to a designated transit operator for redirection to the designated destination operator at the same time as the designated transit operator's containers, but in separate receptacles. As a general rule, the designated originating and transit operators consult each other on procedures relating to closed mail transit.
  2. Open transit. Open transit is used when volumes do not justify a closed shipment. Items (bundles of letters, packages) addressed to a destination country are included within receptacles (usually sacks) that are issued to a designated third party (transit) operator. The designated transit operator includes open transit mail in its own receptacles, along with its own originating mail. Shipments in open transit should not be used for destination countries when the weight of the mail is more than three kilograms per mail or day (when several shipments are made in one day), and also not in the case of M bags.5.

As in closed transit, originating and transit operators consult each other on procedures related to open transit.

5An M bag is a direct bag of forms sent to the same foreign recipient and to the same address. It will be considered a postal item (and not a receptacle). Since 2019, M bags are subject to the requirement for the transmission of advance electronic information.