Shipments to US other than boat stopped?!?!?!

[rancor]

I wonder if this is why there was extra security on the shinkansen this past week. It's hard enough finding a trash can in this place but now I find these cardboard sheets over everything telling me to dispose of my bombs elsewhere.
Japan is a bit of a worry-wort country but is there some specific reason they're freaking out over this terrorist threat compared to all of the others in recent years?

I think recently it was because of Obamas visit - He was in Kamakura over the weekend. I was downtown on Sunday, and there were cops EVERYWHERE - The wife and I were driving to an appointment and a lot of the streets were blocked with those blue/white riot vans that you always see parked in front of the U.S. embassy.. Wasn't so bad today - I noticed there weren't any cops at the major stations.

[BrianC]

I would like some more info. Is a translation of that page possible. From what I read, it sounds like small packages under a pound (which all the stuff on my Christmas list and the game for now, twinbee 3 are under) should be ok, though for now i can't play the games anyway, so waiting longer might not be too bad. i know some sellers aren't affected, though rising stuff is.

[GaijinPunch]

That's what I'm hearing. So a pound of cocaine is totally okay to ship.

[Magic Knight]

From the Japan Times:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 117a5.html

An Post (Ireland's postal system) also mentions the problem, but says that with alternative arrangements, they can get the stuff to the US with a delay of only 1 or 2 days. Don't know about other countries, I can't see mention of it on the Royal Mail or Parcelforce's website yet, just the news about the toner cartridges.

[BrianC]

That's what I'm hearing. So a pound of cocaine is totally okay to ship.

lol.

I found a chart here. this thing is still lame, but at least smaller game orders are still possible. Aside from maybe AES, I can't think of too many carts over a pound.

[gameoverDude]

That's what I'm hearing. So a pound of cocaine is totally okay to ship.

lol.

I found a chart here. this thing is still lame, but at least smaller game orders are still possible. Aside from maybe AES, I can't think of too many carts over a pound.

Taito F3 carts I'm pretty sure are over 1 pound- they are pretty close to the size of the original PlayStation 1 and Genesis consoles.

[brentsg]

My understanding is that TSA decided to prohibit potentially dangerous packages. Since they can't really figure out what's dangerous, they determined anything over a pound to be very scary.

What they are really trying to do is keep risky parcels off commercial airliners when the sender doesn't have a verified return address. That's why commercial accounts are ok and only post office air is affected.

What I don't understand is why only Japan seems to be running with this.

[Specineff]

*Double Facepalm*

Way to go. Long live the American KGB.

[neorichieb1971]

http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/11/16/ja ... ed-states/

GP, it says if you have some kind of frequent mailing account you can still send stuff. Being the parcel force that you are I thought it might be worth telling you just in case you have an account.

[GaijinPunch]

GP, it says if you have some kind of frequent mailing account you can still send stuff. Being the parcel force that you are I thought it might be worth telling you just in case you have an account.

Ain't got one, but will apply soon. I expect the account to be approved the day this retarded ban is lifted.

[Lordstar]

if anyones super duper eger to get something quickly They can send it to me and I can forward it on to you guys in the USA.
Not cheap though but the offer is there.

[drunkninja24]

if anyones super duper eger to get something quickly They can send it to me and I can forward it on to you guys in the USA.
Not cheap though but the offer is there.

Nice offer, but I can't imagine it would be much cheaper (if at all) than someone in Japan simply going with FedEx, UPS, or the like.

[Ed Oscuro]

Stupid. So Yemen = Japan now?

Japan = World #1 source of printer cartridges?

[layzee]

Not that anyone cares (except for maybe GP who specifically asked for "Euro people", whether Australia can be considered "Euro" is another story but I digress) but it has just come to my attention some new (and relatively late) developments from my country regarding the US shipments issue. No official online press release yet so I'll have to type it manually:

Australia Post - Public Notice

Aviation Security - air parcel restrictions to the United States

Due to heightened border protection and increased aviation security measures introduced by the United States (US), there is likely to be delays of around 48 hours to parcels being sent to this destination.

These new measures have higher requirements for screening and transport, and as a result a $9.00 surcharge will be imposed on all air parcels over 453 grams (16 ounces) destined for the United States from Monday 22 November 2010. This includes all US states and territories, and other countries with open transits through the US as listed below:

* Puerto Rico
* Guam
* Marshall Islands
* Palau
* Virgin Islands
* Federated Sates of Micronesia

We advise customers sending mail to the United Sates for Christmas to lodge their items as soon as possible. Australia Post is working hard to meet the demands of the increased security measures, whilst maintaining a focs on timely mail delivery.

This surcharge has been introduced solely to cover the costs of the revised security arrangements required by the United States, and Australia Post reiterates that the circumstances are beyond our control.

Australia Post apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.

Date: 22 November 2010

The $9 surcharge is not quite as drastic as Japan Post's residential-customer complete ban on anything over 453 grams, but it still sucks.

Speaking of Japan Post, here is a summary of what is and isn't allowed under the new policy:

http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/inform ... ry_en.html

As for the duration of the new policies (in Japan and/or elsewhere), information is scant in this regard. The only thing I could find was:

最低１カ月間は継続される見通しだ。

http://mainichi.jp/select/world/news/20 ... 7000c.html

i.e. This 453 grams shipping restriction is expected to be in place for at least one month.

In any case, it is now clear (if it wasn't before) who is responsible for America's situation: America, and/or its government, and/or the terrists. The post offices of the world are simply trying to meet the US's demands in their own way.

[Ed Oscuro]

Can you really blame my government for not wanting random FedEx planes falling from the sky on a regular basis?

The terrorists seem to have hit on a formula (finally, because Osama-San was certainly making economic arguments before - i.e. that the U.S. owes trillions of dollars to Middle Eastern people for oil - but didn't seem to make the economic case so explicitly) for holding the U.S. hostage economically. My only question is what they want in return - I think their short term goal is trying to get America to shut down commerce with Middle Eastern / predominantly Islamic countries altogether so they can set up their political caliphate without having to fight against the baleful effects of Western cultural modernity.

I think that we could, theoretically, give the terrorists what they want and swear off "meddling" (brokering normal business deals, setting up schools for girls included) in regional affairs but this would only be letting this cancer incubate so it can regroup and prepare for what it sees as an apocalyptic showdown with Christians. In the West, especially America, we have a fair number of apocalyptic sects but they tend not to cause this much trouble - and we have been rather successful keeping our house in order and talking people with those beliefs off the ceiling, so to speak.

[ED-057]

Can you really blame my government for not wanting random FedEx planes falling from the sky on a regular basis?

The question is, which measures are effective and worthwhile for dealing with the particular threat? But in the USA that question isn`t asked, because we have a disease called CYA which means that when something happens the media and the lawyers and political rivals will work tirelessly to find someone to take the fall. So, everyone needs to look busy, and make sure they have plausible deniability, lest they become that person. Combine that with fear-mongering-for-profit and the natural cancer-like tendencies of bureaucracy, and the result is security theater.

Something must be done!
This is something!
Therefore, it must be done!

[neorichieb1971]

I hate American politics. I just wonder if certain truths are really that bad and if the people that live in America would support such activities should they become fact, rather than speculation.

The way I see it, no human that is at the top got there without making some enemies or breaking some rule or law. America as a nation is no different and we shouldn't expect EVERYONE in the world to turn the cheek. I am sure if the US was vulnerable militarily the people of America would shout louder.

[austere]

swear off "meddling" (brokering normal business deals, setting up schools for girls included)

Not to mention carpet bombing cities to the ground, murdering entire families in a wedding, propping up apartheid, supporting religious extremist states (see Saudi Arabia), propping up corrupt governments (see Egypt and practically all of the Arab states), uprooting secular governments, destroying democracies (see Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's cooperation with the CIA), running psychological warfare using means not dissimilar from "terrorism" and so on and so forth. Self-righteousness... even someone like me finds it distasteful.

[brentsg]

Can you really blame my government for not wanting random FedEx planes falling from the sky on a regular basis?

The question is, which measures are effective and worthwhile for dealing with the particular threat? But in the USA that question isn`t asked, because we have a disease called CYA which means that when something happens the media and the lawyers and political rivals will work tirelessly to find someone to take the fall. So, everyone needs to look busy, and make sure they have plausible deniability, lest they become that person. Combine that with fear-mongering-for-profit and the natural cancer-like tendencies of bureaucracy, and the result is security theater.

Something must be done!
This is something!
Therefore, it must be done!

I think people are looking at this wrong. People discovered that toner cartridges made pretty good bomb housings and they're tough to detect. The USA banned air shipments that would put these items (over 16 oz) on commercial aircraft. If Fedex, UPS, or whoever wants to move them fine. Plus I'm sure it's going to be temporary until they work out screening measures. What we saw from Japan was an overreaction, whether on purpose or not.

I don't see what's so ridiculous about the US' stance on this. I do think Japan needs to rework their ban.

[gct]

Will shipments to Canada be affected? I just bid on a rather large item via GP's proxy

[layzee]

Japan-to-USA shipping restriction gone: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/whats_new/ ... 29_02.html

[Domino]

Well that was fast. Still the yen is too strong for me to buy anything from Japan.