idleprocess
Flashaholic
Possibly...So is there a resaon postage is so high in here somewhere?
The Universal Postal Union is the reason that China can send mail (almost) anywhere in the (developed economy) world for cheap:
It's been amended and re-negotiated a few times since. E-commerce has altered the balance of flows and resulted in an effective subsidy to developing economies who can ship to developed economy markets for next to nothing. Subsequent negotiations may have altered the backend arrangements and costs to receiving postal services but don't seem to have altered the frontend realities favoring foreign shipments to developed economies.The 1874 treaty provided for the originating country to keep all of the postage revenue, without compensating the destination country for delivery. The idea was that each letter would generate a reply, so the postal flows would be in balance.