On Saturday, November 17, 2012 9:13:25 PM UTC, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
Unfortunately, USPS stopped the slowboat service; that was really
cheap for large items, but took up to three months.

Gosh, surface is gone... bit bizarre when most of the output of Asia comes in via surface shipping and Warren Buffet is buying railroads, union pacific & so on re bulk carrier freight economics. The shipping index can even be a leading economic indicator.

USPS following Royal Mail, expensive, 100$+ oil of course does not help much.