Les USA augmentent le prix de leurs timbres

NEW 39-CENT FIRST-CLASS STAMPS AVAILABLE THURSDAY FOR JANUARY 8 RATE CHANGE

WASHINGTON - Customers have more options than ever to purchase 39-cent First-Class stamps beginning December 8 to use when the new postage rates go into effect Jan. 8, 2006. Plenty of two-cent stamps will be available for customers to use with their 37-cent stamps.

"It's never been easier to get stamps from the Postal Service - no matter where you are," explained Vice President and Consumer Advocate Delores Killette. "We're making this the sweetest holiday season ever by offering quick, easy and convenient access at home or work. While many of our 37,000 Post Offices will open early and stay open late this Holiday Season, customers can also visit usps.com to order stamps or obtain online postage for mailing packages. Our letter carriers will pick up packages from your home or office the next delivery day. Stamps ordered online or by calling 1-800-STAMP24 are typically delivered within three business days."

Lady Liberty and Flag (Non-denominated valued at 39-cents)

The 39-cent non-denominated First-Class definitive stamp features an image of the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. The statue was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi with assistance from engineer and Eiffel Tower designer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. The statue is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and is a gift from to the in recognition of the friendship that developed during the American Revolution. Dedicated Oct. 28, 1886, it serves as a symbol of political freedom and democracy for millions of people around the world. The stamp will be available in pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) panes of 20, PSA booklets of 20, PSA coils of 100, and water activated gum coils of 3,000 for postal vending machines and business customers.

Navajo Jewelry (2-cent reprint)

A reprint of the two-cent definitive issued in 2004, the Navajo Jewelry two-cent stamp features a painted detail of a Navajo silver and turquoise necklace with sand-cast "squash blossoms" set with polished blue turquoise nuggets. The stamp is available in panes of 20.

Since 1775, the Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 144 million homes and businesses every day, six days a week and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than half of the world's mail volume - some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year - and serves seven and a half million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide. Its website, usps.com, attracts more than 21 million visitors each month.