Will Trump Pull Out Of The World's Mail System?

AS AN AMERICAN, JEANNE GLENZ PRIZES HER RIGHT TO VOTE. But, because she lives near Munich with her German husband, exercising that right isn’t always easy.

- Abigail Abrams

This year it could get even harder, depending on the results of an obscure international meeting scheduled to take place in Geneva on Sept. 24–25. If the Trump Administration doesn’t get what it wants at that summit, the U.S. is set to withdraw from an arcane treaty that governs global mail delivery— leaving commercial shippers and military mail managers fretting, and election officials concerned that millions of overseas Americans will struggle to cast a vote. “This represents taxation without representation,” says Glenz, a 79-year-old retired psychologist from California.

The White House says it’s working “around the clock” to facilitate a smooth exit from the agreement, if it comes to that, but the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has telegraphed a more cautious outlook in industry conversations. With few details made public, mail watchers worry the U.S. may be about to upset the stability of the mail system around the world.

THE CURRENT SYSTEM isn’t perfect—a letter may get lost; a gift may arrive the day after a birthday—but it’s still an impressive bit of international cooperation. After all, if you want to send a letter from the U.S. to Glenz in Germany, you can use American stamps and still expect Deutsche Post to deliver it.