LetterMail (LM) measurement follows similar standards for International as it does with domestic once the item arrives to Canada. Measurement to start the clock is slightly different, however, depending upon when the airline hands the product over to Canada Post.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has the authority to inspect incoming LM prior to release into our Domestic Network. If CBSA decides to inspects LM, it stops the clock. We have no visibility to the length of time CBSA holds LM mail for inspection. Testing mail with radio frequency identification (RFID) does stop the clock and then it restarts once the mail is turned back to Canada Post following CBSA inspection.

Should LM be delivered to Canada Post from the airline before the Critical Tag time, we consider that to be the day of receipt. In Toronto, our Critical Tag time is 18:30 and in Montreal and Vancouver it is 21:00. Mail arriving after that time would be considered next day arrival.

Once received in Canada, and if not subject to CBSA inspection, we follow the Domestic LM Standard 2- 3-4 days. For example mail received in Toronto would be 2 Days for GTA, 3 Day within the Province of Ontario and 4 days Nationally. Mail with a Critical Tag time on Monday should be delivered in Toronto on Wednesday, Ottawa on Thursday and in all other Provinces on Friday (not including remote locations).

The specific question regarding total length of time for International vs Domestic (how much longer) and naming Hong Kong is also contingent upon the delivery standards for mail listed by that country. Hong Kong is a city state so if induction was made on Monday, processing would occur on Monday evening / Tuesday, with dispatch to the ground handler of the airline. The Ground Handlers typically conduct security screening and build the airline containers for flights next day. Flights from Hong Kong to Toronto or Vancouver depart in the evening and arrive same day into Toronto. Typically they land around 7:30pm and by the time the plane comes to the gate, is unloaded / delivered to Canada Post it would be after our Critical Tag Time. Accordingly, with this example LM would be measured as Thursday arrival – i.e., Day 0.

Therefore, mail deposited in Hong Kong on Monday would fly Wednesday and be considered Day 0 to Canada on Thursday (even if it takes 4 days in total at that point). If CBSA does not inspect the mail it would follow our Domestic Delivery Standards. Delivery to Toronto would be Monday, Ottawa Tuesday and other Provinces on Thursday the following week. It would take almost two weeks for National LM without inspection delays from CBSA.

We have test mail with the United Postal Union that provides measurement performance that receives RFID scan upon arrival to the airports. In 2019, we had 167 pieces of International Test mail from Hong Kong. Our combined 2-3-4 days on-time measurement was 76.4%. If we remove the strike months of 2019 as well as peak period (i.e., March to October 2019) we estimate our Hong Kong performance on- time improves to 87.9%.

Mail going to Hong Kong from Canada would follow the same reverse logic. The other thing to note is that international airline schedules do not have the same frequencies they had prior to COVID. Flights that used to operate daily have been reduced or cancelled all together. This will add time to Leg 2, i.e., the transfer time between posts. Hong Kong also may not utilize the same airline carrier as Canada Post. Flight frequencies or flights requiring connections in order to reach destination would increase the timeline depending upon carrier and airline routing. These schedules have been significantly disrupted for International mail.