Washington, D.C. 20549

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS

PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016

or

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 001-15451

____________________________________  

__________________________________ 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(404) 828-6000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

_______________________________  

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

__________________________________ _  

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Class A common stock, par value $.01 per share

(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.    Yes   ¨     No   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes   x     No   ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.   x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of "accelerated filer", "large accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Check one:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes   ¨     No   x

The aggregate market value of the class B common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $74,441,628,766 as of June 30, 2016 . The registrant's class A common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or traded in an organized over-the-counter market, but each share of the registrant's class A common stock is convertible into one share of the registrant's class B common stock.

As of February 8, 2017 , there were 180,802,416 outstanding shares of class A common stock and 689,227,227 outstanding shares of class B common stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareowners scheduled for May 4, 2017 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements

This report includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in the future tense, and all statements accompanied by terms such as "believe," "project," "expect," "estimate," "assume," "intend," "anticipate," "target," "plan," and variations thereof and similar terms are intended to be forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements we make will be subject to safe harbor protection of the federal securities laws pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Our disclosure and analysis in this report, in our Annual Report to Shareholders and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") contain forward-looking statements regarding our intent, belief and current expectations about our strategic direction, prospects and future results. From time to time, we also provide forward-looking statements in other materials we release as well as oral forward-looking statements. Such statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events; they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made.

Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or anticipated results. These risks and uncertainties are described in Part I, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and may also be described from time to time in our future reports filed with the SEC. You should consider the limitations on, and risks associated with, forward-looking statements and not unduly rely on the accuracy of predictions contained in such forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, changes in expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events after the date of those statements.

Overview

United Parcel Service, Inc. ("UPS") was founded in 1907 as a private messenger and delivery service in Seattle, Washington. Today, we are the world's largest package delivery company, a leader in the U.S. less-than-truckload industry and the premier provider of global supply chain management solutions. We deliver packages each business day for 1.6 million shipping customers to 8.7 million receivers ("consignees") in over 220 countries and territories. In 2016 , we delivered an average of 19.1 million pieces per day, or a total of 4.9 billion packages. Total revenue in 2016 was $ 60.9 billion .

We serve the global market for logistics services, which include transportation, distribution, contract logistics, ground freight, ocean freight, air freight, customs brokerage, insurance and financing. We have three reportable segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package and Supply Chain & Freight, all of which are described below. For financial information concerning our reportable segments and geographic regions, refer to note 12 of our consolidated financial statements.

Business Strategy

Our market strategy is to provide customers with advanced logistics solutions made possible by a broad portfolio of differentiated services and capabilities expertly assembled and integrated into our customers' businesses. This approach, supported by our efficient and globally balanced multimodal network, enables us to deliver value to our customers and thereby build lasting partnerships with them.

Customers leverage our broad portfolio of logistics capabilities; balanced global presence in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America; reliability; industry-leading technologies; and solutions expertise for competitive advantage in markets where they choose to compete. We prudently invest to expand our integrated global network and service portfolio.

Technology investments create user-friendly shipping, e-commerce, logistics management and visibility tools for our customers, while supporting our ongoing effort to increase operational efficiencies. We actively monitor and invest to gain insights into emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing), route and network optimization tools, autonomous vehicles, and advanced product monitoring and tracking functionality. In 2016, we invested in Deliv, a same-day retail delivery startup, and Optoro, a reverse logistics firm.

In order to meet demand, we are increasing capital expenditures to expand network capacity and increase productivity by automating existing facilities. We are making strategic investments in our top 30 processing hubs as well as adding new facilities to our network. In 2016, we announced investments of $400 million to build a new 1.2 million square foot regional processing facility in Atlanta, Georgia, $196 million to increase the processing capacity of our Jacksonville, Florida hub by 33%, and $175 million to double the processing capacity of our Columbus, Ohio hub.

Our service portfolio and investments have produced among the best return on invested capital and operating margins in the industry. We have a long history of sound financial management and our consolidated balance sheet reflects financial strength that few companies can match. Cash generation is a significant strength of UPS, giving us strong capacity to service our obligations and allowing for distributions to shareowners, reinvestment in our business and the pursuit of growth opportunities.

We enable and are the beneficiaries of the following trends:

Expansion of Global Trade

We continue to invest to expand in both developed and emerging international markets. In Europe, we have committed to nearly $2 billion of capital investment to expand our infrastructure to meet the growing demand for cross-border commerce. The enhancements to our European ground network are designed to ensure that we provide fast, reliable service to customers moving goods across country borders.

Emerging market opportunities continue to expand. Over the next ten years, these markets are expected to represent the majority of global GDP growth and an increasing portion of global trade. Emerging markets are a focus of investment and growth for our current customers and will be a source of our next generation of customers. To take advantage of these opportunities, we continue to make long-term investments in markets where our customers are growing. Over the past ten years, we have established a strong market presence in three developing markets: China, Poland and Turkey. India, along with select countries in the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe are also becoming increasingly important to us.

Transcontinental and cross-border trade are predicted to grow faster than U.S. and global gross domestic production for the foreseeable future. As a result, global economies are becoming more inter-connected and dependent on foreign trade. We are committed to continued growth in both international logistics and express services. We are expanding our aircraft fleet beginning in 2017 to include an additional 14 Boeing 747-8s.

UPS plays an important role in both global and regional trade and is well positioned to take advantage of trade growth, wherever it occurs. Our global presence and productivity enhancing technologies allow customers to expand into new markets. We advocate for the expansion of free trade, including the passage of regional trade pacts and the removal of trade barriers.

These trends underscore why we believe our international business remains a catalyst for future profitable growth.

e-Commerce Growth in Retail Sectors

E-commerce continues to drive significant growth in package delivery volume. Our integrated network puts us in an ideal position to capitalize on the shift towards residential deliveries. We continue to create new services, supported by our technology, that complement traditional UPS premium home delivery services and address the needs of e-commerce shippers and consignees. We offer cost-effective solutions such as UPS SurePost, for U.S. domestic shipments, and UPS i-parcel, for a low-cost deferred cross border solution, where economy takes precedence over speed. We also offer feature-rich solutions, such as UPS My Choice, a service that provides more than 30 million members with visibility and control of their inbound shipments. The power of UPS My Choice has been enhanced over the past year with the addition of UPS Follow My Delivery for time-sensitive shipments. UPS Follow My Delivery offers map-based tracking from a package's delivery departure to a UPS My Choice member's residence.

UPS My Choice members have the added flexibility to direct packages to UPS Access Point locations when they will not be home to accept a delivery. UPS Access Point locations are convenient places – such as The UPS Store and other local businesses – that offer easy package drop-off and pick-up. With evening and weekend hours, UPS Access Point locations better fit some consumers' schedules. Merchants in 50 origin countries and territories can ship directly to UPS Access Point locations in 18 destination countries, giving merchants and consumers greater control over package deliveries.

Industry-focused Solutions and Offerings

We offer differentiated value propositions in several segments, including aerospace, automotive, industrial manufacturing, retail, professional and consumer services, healthcare and high-tech.

Our understanding of macro and industry trends in each market allows us to develop commercial insights for our customers. These insights are incorporated into our sales and solutions process and are shared with customers through direct engagement, industry forums and publications. We help customers achieve their business objectives and improve their performance through our value-added solutions.

The combination of rising global demand for healthcare, product innovations (many of which are time and temperature sensitive), increasing regulatory oversight and downward reimbursement pressure is creating opportunities and challenges for healthcare and life sciences firms. In 2016, we expanded our healthcare capabilities by acquiring Maze 1 Limited ("Marken"), a global provider of supply chain solutions to the life sciences industry, primarily serving the clinical trials logistics space. Clinical trials are subject to strict regulatory compliance, require temperature-controlled logistics services and are typically global in reach. Marken operates a global network of clinical supply chain services to meet this need. The acquisition of Marken follows multiple acquisitions that have expanded our healthcare logistics services portfolio in recent years. With over seven million square feet of healthcare logistics and distribution facilities around the world and further growth planned for the future, we are well-positioned to meet our customers' increasingly complex requirements.

Rapid technology innovation and growing worldwide demand for electronics are driving change in the already-dynamic high-tech industry. UPS's global transportation network and integrated technology solutions enable high-tech customers to get their products to market faster, improve customer service and increase revenue. We offer global sourcing and a significant amount of repair space to leverage one of the largest networks of post-sales facilities in the world. With more than 950 field stocking locations in over 110 countries, we help high-tech companies identify better ways to manage inventories and meet their crucial logistics needs. Our experience and global capabilities make us a strong partner in the high-tech industry.

Logistics Outsourcing

Outsourcing supply chain management is becoming more prevalent as customers increasingly view professional management and operation of their supply chains as a strategic advantage. This trend enables companies to focus on what they do best. We can meet our customers' needs for outsourced logistics with our global capabilities in customized forwarding, transportation, warehousing, distribution, delivery and post-sales services.

Technology

Technology powers logistics, forms the foundation of our reliability and allows us to enhance the customer experience. Recent developments that improve our operational efficiency, flexibility, reliability and customer experience include:

We bring industry-leading UPS technology to our customers who, in turn, realize increased productivity, greater control of their supply chains and improved customer experience when they integrate with our systems. Customers benefit through offerings such as:

Shipping

WorldShip™, which is our flagship desktop shipping application, provides middle-market and large customers with robust shipping capabilities. Customers can create custom labels, set up shipment alerts, create and upload customs documentation, track and export shipments, create reports and integrate with their enterprise resource planning and accounting systems to streamline shipping with real-time connectivity.

UPS marketplace shipping, which integrates www.ups.com with eBay® , Amazon®, Etsy® and BigCommerce®, allows marketplace sellers to easily ship their orders via www.ups.com or WorldShip™. UPS marketplace shipping provides simplified shipment processing, multiple payment options (including PayPal™), order and shipment history and automatic tracking updates.

Tracking and Visibility

UPS Quantum View® helps customers better manage shipments, facilitate tracking, allow for inbound volume planning, manage third-party shipping costs and automatically notify customers of incoming shipments. With visibility into transit times and delivery confirmations, customers can speed up their revenue cycle and collect accounts receivable more quickly while improving customer service.

International Trade Tools

UPS Paperless™ solutions allow customers to self-enroll in UPS Paperless™ Invoice and upload shipping documents. These solutions enable customers to electronically transmit a commercial invoice, packing list or their own customs documents when shipping internationally. This eliminates redundant data entry and errors, while reducing customs delays and paper waste.

UPS TradeAbility® tools help customers effectively and confidently manage the movement of goods internationally in a timely, efficient and compliant manner.

Billing

The UPS Billing Center, a secure location for customers to view, download, manage and pay their UPS invoices, helps customers accelerate billing and payment processes. Customers can assign privileges with administrative controls, manage multiple accounts and create custom reports using a single simple interface.

Integration

The UPS Developer Kit, which is comprised of multiple Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), helps customers streamline and automate their internal business processes. The UPS Developer Kit APIs allow customers to integrate a wide range of UPS functionality into their business systems and websites such as address validation, shipment scheduling, selection of shipping service levels, tracking and much more.

Business-to-Consumer

UPS My Choice®, which focuses on the consignee, has transformed the residential delivery experience. Receivers can direct the timing and delivery instructions for their packages using their computer, mobile devices or Facebook™ app. This innovative service is powered by the complex integration of real-time route optimization and other technologies within our delivery network.

The Global Locator on www.ups.com was enhanced to give customers faster and simpler access to UPS drop-off and pick-up locations, including new UPS Access Point sites. The Global Locator has a new search field with updated filters, location images and location-specific promotions. Customers can also provide online feedback, e-mail search results, save favorite locations and access recent searches.

Mobile

UPS Mobile, which includes the mobile website, m.ups.com , and apps for iPhone®, iPad® and Android devices, is readily available for our customers in over 80 countries. Customers can track, ship, find UPS locations, manage UPS My Choice shipments and receive shipment notifications on their mobile devices. The UPS Mobile apps and website were enhanced with new mobile shipping options that make it easier to create or print a label from a mobile device. In 2016, the app was deployed in an additional 39 countries, for a total of 55 countries.

Reporting Segments and Products & Services

Global Small Package

Our global small package operations provide time-definite delivery services for express letters, documents, small packages and palletized freight via air and ground services. We serve more than 220 countries and territories around the world along with domestic delivery service within 50 countries. We handle packages that weigh up to 150 pounds and are up to 165 inches in combined length and girth as well as palletized shipments weighing more than 150 pounds. All of our package services are supported by numerous shipping, visibility and billing technologies.

We handle all levels of service (air, ground, domestic, international, commercial, residential) through one global integrated pick-up and delivery network. All packages are commingled within our network, except when necessary to meet their specific service commitments. This enables one UPS driver to pick up customers' shipments for any of our services at the same scheduled time each day. Compared to companies with single service network designs, our integrated network uniquely provides operational and capital efficiencies while being more environmentally-friendly.

We offer same-day pick-up of air and ground packages upon request. Customers can schedule pick-ups for one to five days a week, based on their specific needs. Additionally, our wholly-owned and partnered global network offers more than 150,000 entry points where customers can tender a package to us at a location or time convenient to them. This combined network includes UPS drivers who can accept packages provided to them, UPS drop boxes, UPS Access Point locations, The UPS Store locations, authorized shipping outlets and commercial counters, alliance locations and customer centers attached to UPS facilities. Some of these locations offer a full array of services including pick-up, delivery and packing options, while others are drop-off locations only.

The growth of online shopping has increased our customers' needs for efficient and reliable returns, resulting in our development of a robust selection of returns services that are available in more than 145 countries. Options vary based on customer needs and country, and range from cost-effective solutions such as UPS Returns, to more-specialized services such as UPS Returns Exchange. UPS Returns enables shippers to provide their customers with a return shipping label, while UPS Returns Exchange simplifies product exchanges by delivering a replacement item and picking up a return item in the same stop, and assisting with the re-packaging process.

We operate one of the largest airlines in the world, with global operations centered at our Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky. Worldport sort capacity, currently at 416,000 packages per hour, has expanded over the years due to volume growth and a centralization effort. Our European air hub is located in Cologne, Germany, and we maintain Asia-Pacific air hubs in Shanghai, China and Shenzhen, China and Hong Kong. Our regional air hub in Canada is located in Hamilton, Ontario, and our regional air hub for Latin America and the Caribbean is in Miami, Florida.

In the U.S., Worldport is supported by our regional air hubs in Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Ontario, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Rockford, Illinois. This network design allows for cost-effective package processing in our most technology-enabled facilities, which allow us to use fewer, larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft. Our U.S. ground fleet serves all business and residential zip codes in the contiguous U.S.

U.S. Domestic Package Reporting Segment

We are a leader in time-definite, money-back guaranteed, small package delivery services in the U.S. We offer a full spectrum of U.S. domestic guaranteed ground and air package transportation services.

International Package Reporting Segment

Our International Package reporting segment includes small package operations in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and Africa. We offer a wide selection of guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services. We offer more guaranteed time-definite express options (Express Plus, Express and Express Saver) than any other carrier.

Europe, our largest region outside of the U.S., accounts for approximately half of international revenue and is one of the primary drivers of our growth. To accommodate the strong potential for growth in small package exports, we made a series of enhancements to our ground network that helps reduce transit time for cross-border shipments by one to two days and will result in improved exporting opportunities for customers in Europe. These expansions and enhancements are part of our commitment to invest nearly $2 billion in our European infrastructure by 2019.

Asia-Pacific remains a strategic market due to growth rates in intra-Asia trade and the expanding Chinese economy. To capitalize on these opportunities, we are bringing faster time-in-transit to customers focused on intra-Asia trade, and reducing transit days from Asia to the U.S. and Europe. Through added flight frequencies, we provide our customers the ability to ship next day to more places in the U.S. and Europe, guaranteed, than any other express carrier. We serve more than 40 Asia-Pacific countries and territories through more than two dozen alliances with local delivery companies that supplement company-owned operations.

The investments we are making to expand our network and improve service levels have already created a strong foundation, contributing to 30% incremental profit growth over the last two years. Excluding any impacts from foreign currency, we expect this positive momentum in our core International business model to continue going forward.

Supply Chain & Freight Reporting Segment

The Supply Chain & Freight reporting segment consists of our forwarding and logistics services, truckload freight brokerage, UPS Freight and our financial offerings through UPS Capital. Supply chain complexity creates demand for a global service offering that incorporates transportation, distribution and international trade and brokerage services, with complementary financial and information services. Outsourcing of non-core logistics activity is a strategy more and more companies are pursuing. With increased competition and growth opportunities in new markets, businesses require flexible and responsive supply chains to support their business strategies. We meet this demand by offering a broad array of supply chain services in over 195 countries and territories.

Freight Forwarding

We are one of the largest U.S. domestic air freight carriers and among the top international air freight forwarders globally. We offer a portfolio of guaranteed and non-guaranteed global air freight services. Additionally, as one of the world's leading non-vessel operating common carriers, we provide ocean freight full-container load, less-than-container load and multimodal transportation services between most major ports around the world.

Truckload Freight Brokerage (Coyote)

In 2015, we acquired Coyote Logistics Midco, Inc ("Coyote"), a U.S.-based truckload freight brokerage company. We successfully integrated this large-scale truckload freight brokerage and transportation management services operation into our Supply Chain & Freight reporting segment, and have seen significant synergies in the areas of purchased transportation, backhaul utilization, cross-selling to customers, technology systems and industry best practices. Coyote's access to our UPS fleet combined with its broad carrier network has created a customized capacity solution for all markets, customers and situations. Moreover, Coyote has been able to cross-sell UPS services (such as air freight, customs brokerage and global freight forwarding) to its customer base.

Global Logistics and Distribution

UPS Logistics offers the following services:

UPS Freight

UPS Freight offers regional, inter-regional and long-haul less-than-truckload ("LTL") services, as well as full truckload services, in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexico. UPS Freight provides reliable LTL service backed by a day-definite, on-time guarantee at no additional cost. Additionally, user-friendly shipping, visibility and billing technology offerings including UPS WorldShip®, Quantum View and UPS Billing Center, allow freight customers to create electronic bills of lading, monitor shipment progress and reconcile shipping charges.

Customs Brokerage

We are among the world's largest customs brokers by both the number of shipments processed annually and by the number of dedicated brokerage employees worldwide. We provide our customers with customs clearance, trade management and international trade consulting services.

UPS Capital

UPS Capital provides financial, insurance and payment services to help protect companies from risk and leverage cash in their supply chains. With services available in over 21 countries, UPS Capital and its affiliates support all aspects of the order-to-cash cycle, including financing inventory warehoused overseas, insuring shipments and providing payment solutions. The UPS Capital suite of cargo and credit insurance, trade finance and payment solutions is designed to help customers protect their assets and keep their businesses running smoothly. With the acquisitions of Parcel Pro™ and the Insured Parcel Services business of G4S International Logistics in 2015, UPS Capital now offers insured transportation of high-value goods including loose stones, finished jewelry and wristwatches.

Sustainability

Our business and corporate responsibility strategies pursue a common interest to increase the vitality and environmental sustainability of the global economy by aggregating the shipping activity of millions of businesses and individuals worldwide into a single, highly efficient logistics network. This provides benefits to:

We pursue sustainable business practices worldwide through operational efficiency, fleet and fuel advances, facility engineering projects and conservation-enabling technology and service offerings. We help our customers do the same. We consider stakeholder engagement an essential aspect of corporate governance and regularly collaborate with a diverse set of global stakeholders on sustainability issues. Our most material global sustainability issues primarily involve our energy use, emissions and workplace policies. UPS established an enterprise-wide target to reduce the carbon intensity of our operations by 20% by 2020, using 2007 as a baseline. As of 2015, we achieved a 14.5% reduction toward this goal as a result of successfully executing greenhouse gas reduction strategies in our ground, air and facility operations.

Sustainability highlights in 2016 include:

More information on how we address our most significant sustainability issues is available in the UPS Corporate Sustainability Report and on the UPS Sustainability website at www.ups.com/sustainability .

Community

We believe that strong communities are vital to the success of our company. By combining our philanthropy with the volunteer time and talents of our employees, we help drive positive change for organizations and communities in need across the globe. The highlights of our corporate citizenship efforts in 2016 include:

Reputation

Great brands require connecting with customers, investors and other stakeholders with honesty and transparency. In working to develop these connections, we regularly receive high accolades from independent brand and reputation evaluations. 

In 2016 , we continued to be ranked highly by the following:

• Forbes' 2016 ranking of "The World's Most Valued Brands" ,

• Interbrand's " Best Global Brands,2016",

• 2016 FORTUNE Magazine's list of " World's Most Admired Companies ",

• 2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for the Third-Party Logistics Leader, Worldwide, and

• WPP's BrandZ "Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands" 2016 survey by Millward Brown Optimor .

Employees

The strength of our company is our people, working together with a common purpose. We had more than 434,000 employees (excluding temporary seasonal employees) as of December 31, 2016 , of which 355,000 are in the U.S. and 79,000 are located internationally. Our global workforce includes approximately 78,000 management employees (38% of whom are part-time) and 356,000 hourly employees (47% of whom are part-time).

As of December 31, 2016 , we had approximately 268,000 employees employed under a national master agreement and various supplemental agreements with local unions affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ("Teamsters"). During 2014, the Teamsters ratified a new national master agreement with UPS that will expire on July 31, 2018.

We have approximately 2,600 pilots who are employed under a collective bargaining agreement with the Independent Pilots Association ("IPA"), which became amendable at the end of 2011. On August 31, 2016, the IPA members voted to ratify a new five-year labor contract. Terms of the agreement became effective September 1, 2016 and run through September 1, 2021. The economic provisions in the agreement included pay increases, signing bonuses and enhanced pension benefits.

Our airline mechanics are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 2727, which became amendable November 1, 2013. We are currently in negotiations with Teamsters Local 2727. In addition, approximately 3,000 of our auto and maintenance mechanics who are not employed under agreements with the Teamsters are employed under collective bargaining agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ("IAM") that will expire on July 31, 2019.

The experience of our management team continues to be an organizational strength. Nearly 34% of our full-time managers have more than 20 years of service with UPS.

We believe that our relations with our employees are good. We periodically survey all our employees to determine their level of job satisfaction. Areas of concern receive management attention as we strive to keep UPS the employer-of-choice among our employees. We consistently receive numerous awards and wide recognition as an employer-of-choice, resulting in part from our emphasis on diversity and corporate citizenship.

Safety

Health, Wellness and Safety are core values at UPS and an enduring belief that the well-being of our people, business partners and the general public is of utmost importance. We train our people to recognize hazards, mitigate risk and avoid injury to themselves and others in all aspects of their work. We do not tolerate unsafe work practices.

We recognize employees for health, wellness, and safety accomplishments. We provide education programs which promote the health and wellness of employees, their families and the safety of our global operations. We are committed to fostering the most effective safety practices in our work environment. By maintaining our high safety standards, we contribute to the well-being of our people, the company and the communities we serve.

Competition

UPS is a global leader in logistics. We offer a broad array of services in the package and freight delivery industry and, therefore, compete with many different local, regional, national and international logistics providers. Our competitors include worldwide postal services, various motor carriers, express companies, freight forwarders, air couriers and others, including startups that combine technology with crowdsourcing to focus on local market needs. Through our supply chain service offerings, we compete with a number of providers in the supply chain, financial services and information technology industries.

Competitive Strengths

Our competitive strengths include:

Global Network.     We believe that our integrated global ground and air network is the most extensive in the industry. We provide all types of package service (air, ground, domestic, international, commercial and residential) through a single pick-up and delivery service network. We also have extensive air freight, ocean freight, ground freight and logistics networks that provide additional capabilities in the global transportation and logistics market.

Our sophisticated engineering systems allow us to optimize our network efficiency and asset utilization on a daily basis. This unique, integrated global business model creates consistent and superior returns.

Global Presence.    We serve more than 220 countries and territories around the world. We have a significant presence in all of the world's major economies.

Leading-edge Technology.     We are a global leader in developing technology that helps our customers optimize their shipping and logistics business processes to lower costs, improve service and increase efficiency.

Technology powers virtually every service we offer and every operation we perform. Our technology offerings are driven by our customers' needs. We offer a variety of online service options that enable our customers to integrate UPS functionality into their own businesses not only to send, manage and track their shipments conveniently, but also to provide their customers with better information services. We provide the infrastructure for an Internet presence that extends to tens of thousands of customers who have integrated UPS tools directly into their own websites.

Broad Portfolio of Services.     Our portfolio of services enables customers to choose the delivery option that is most appropriate for their requirements. Increasingly, our customers benefit from business solutions that integrate many UPS services in addition to package delivery. For example, our supply chain services-such as freight forwarding, customs brokerage, order fulfillment and returns management-help improve the efficiency of the supply chain management process.

Customer Relationships.     We focus on building and maintaining long-term customer relationships. We serve 1.6  million pickup customers and 8.7  million delivery customers daily. Cross-selling small package, supply chain and freight services across our customer base is an important growth mechanism for UPS.

Brand Equity.     We have built a leading and trusted brand that stands for quality service, reliability and service innovation. The distinctive appearance of our vehicles and the professional courtesy of our drivers are major contributors to our brand equity.

Distinctive Culture.     We believe that the dedication of our employees results in large part from our distinctive "employee-owner" concept. Our employee stock ownership tradition dates from 1927, when our founders, who believed that employee stock ownership was a vital foundation for successful business, first offered stock to employees. To encourage employee stock ownership, we maintain several stock-based compensation programs.

Our long-standing policy of "promotion from within" complements our tradition of employee ownership, and this policy reduces the need for us to hire managers and executive officers from outside UPS. The majority of our management team began their careers as full-time or part-time hourly UPS employees, and have spent their entire careers with us. Many of our executive officers have more than 30 years of service with UPS and have accumulated a meaningful ownership stake in our company. Therefore, our executive officers have a strong incentive to effectively manage UPS, which benefits all of our shareowners.

Financial Strength.     Our financial strength gives us the resources to achieve global scale; to invest in employee development, technology, transportation equipment and facilities; to pursue strategic opportunities that facilitate our growth; to service our obligations; and to return value to our shareowners in the form of dividends, share repurchases and steady share growth.

Government Regulation

We are subject to numerous laws and regulations in connection with our package and non-package businesses in the countries in which we operate. Certain of these laws and regulations are summarized below.

Air Operations

The U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT"), the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through the Transportation Security Administration ("TSA"), have regulatory authority over United Parcel Service Co.'s ("UPS Airlines'") air transportation services. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, is the statutory basis for DOT and FAA authority and the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, as amended, is the basis for TSA aviation security authority.

The DOT's authority primarily relates to economic aspects of air transportation, such as insurance requirements, discriminatory pricing, non-competitive practices, interlocking relations and cooperative agreements. The DOT also regulates, subject to the authority of the President of the United States, international routes, fares, rates and practices, and is authorized to investigate and take action against discriminatory treatment of U.S. air carriers abroad. International operating rights for U.S. airlines are usually subject to bilateral agreements between the U.S. and foreign governments or, in the absence of such agreements, by principles of reciprocity. We are also subject to current and potential aviation regulations imposed by foreign governments in the countries in which we operate, including registration and license requirements and security regulations. UPS Airlines has international route operating rights granted by the DOT and we may apply for additional authorities when those operating rights are available and are required for the efficient operation of our international network. The efficiency and flexibility of our international air transportation network is dependent on DOT and foreign government regulations and operating restrictions.

The FAA's authority primarily relates to safety aspects of air transportation, including aircraft operating procedures, transportation of hazardous materials, record keeping standards and maintenance activities and personnel. In 1988, the FAA granted us an operating certificate, which remains in effect so long as we meet the safety and operational requirements of the applicable FAA regulations. In addition, we are subject to non-U.S. government regulation of aviation rights involving non-U.S. jurisdictions and non-U.S. customs regulation.

UPS aircraft maintenance programs and procedures, including aircraft inspection and repair at periodic intervals, are approved for all aircraft under FAA regulations. The future cost of repairs pursuant to these programs may fluctuate according to aircraft condition, age and the enactment of additional FAA regulatory requirements.

The TSA regulates various security aspects of air cargo transportation in a manner consistent with the TSA mission statement to "protect the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce." UPS Airlines, and specified airport and off-airport locations, are regulated under TSA regulations applicable to the transportation of cargo in an air network. In addition, personnel, facilities and procedures involved in air cargo transportation must comply with TSA regulations.

UPS Airlines, along with a number of other domestic airlines, participates in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet ("CRAF") program. Our participation in the CRAF program allows the U.S. Department of Defense ("DOD") to requisition specified UPS Airlines wide-body aircraft for military use during a national defense emergency. The DOD compensates us for the use of aircraft under the CRAF program. In addition, participation in CRAF entitles UPS Airlines to bid for military cargo charter operations.

Ground Operations

Our ground transportation of packages in the U.S. is subject to regulation by the DOT and its agency, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (the "FMCSA") and the states' jurisdiction with respect to the regulation of operations, safety, insurance and hazardous materials. We also must comply with the safety and fitness regulations promulgated by the FMCSA, including those relating to drug and alcohol testing and hours of service for drivers. We are subject to similar regulation in many non-U.S. jurisdictions.

The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created the U.S. Postal Service as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the federal government, and created the Postal Rate Commission, an independent agency, to recommend postal rates. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 amended the 1970 Act to give the re-named Postal Regulatory Commission revised oversight authority over many aspects of the Postal Service, including postal rates, product offerings and service standards. We sometimes participate in the proceedings before the Postal Regulatory Commission in an attempt to secure fair postal rates for competitive services.

Our ground operations are subject to compliance with various cargo-security and transportation regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including regulation by the TSA.

Customs

We are subject to the customs laws in the countries in which we operate, regarding the import and export of shipments, including those related to the filing of documents on behalf of client importers and exporters. Our activities, including customs brokerage and freight forwarding, are subject to regulation by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, the TSA, the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and the DOT.

Environmental

We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations across all of our business units. These laws and regulations cover a variety of processes, including, but not limited to: proper storage, handling and disposal of waste materials; appropriately managing wastewater and stormwater; monitoring and maintaining the integrity of underground storage tanks; complying with laws regarding clean air, including those governing emissions; protecting against and appropriately responding to spills and releases; and communicating the presence of reportable quantities of hazardous materials to local responders. We have established site- and activity-specific environmental compliance and pollution prevention programs to address our environmental responsibilities and remain compliant. In addition, we have created numerous programs which seek to minimize waste and prevent pollution within our operations.

Pursuant to the Federal Aviation Act, the FAA, with the assistance of the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), is authorized to establish standards governing aircraft noise. Our aircraft fleet is in compliance with current noise standards of the federal aviation regulations. Our international operations are also subject to noise regulations in certain countries in which we operate.

Communications

Because of our extensive use of radio and other communication facilities in our aircraft and ground transportation operations, we are subject to the Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission regulates and licenses our activities pertaining to satellite communications.

Where You Can Find More Information

We maintain a website at www.ups.com . Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available through our website www.investors.ups.com as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file or furnish the reports to the SEC. However, information on these websites is not incorporated by reference into this report or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.

We have adopted a written Code of Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer and senior financial officers. It is available in the governance section of our investor relations website, located at www.investors.ups.com . In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers from, the provisions of the Code of Business Conduct that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose these events in the governance section of our investor relations website.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the Charters for our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Risk Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are also available in the governance section of our investor relations website.

Our sustainability report, which describes our activities that support our commitment to acting responsibly and contributing to society, is available at www.sustainability.ups.com . We provide the addresses to our Internet sites solely for the information of investors. We do not intend for any addresses to be active links or to otherwise incorporate the contents of any website into this report.

You should carefully consider the following factors, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. You should read these Risk Factors in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Item 7 and our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes in Item 8.

General economic conditions, both in the U.S. and internationally, may adversely affect our results of operations.

We conduct operations in over 220 countries and territories. Our U.S. and international operations are subject to normal cycles affecting the economy in general, as well as the local economic environments in which we operate. The factors that create cyclical changes to the economy and to our business are beyond our control, and it may be difficult for us to adjust our business model to mitigate the impact of these factors. In particular, our business is affected by levels of industrial production, consumer spending and retail activity and our business, financial position and results of operations could be materially affected by adverse developments in these aspects of the economy. The United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union could result in economic uncertainty and instability, resulting in fewer goods being transported globally.

We face significant competition which could adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

We face significant competition on a local, regional, national and international basis. Our competitors include the postal services of the U.S. and other nations, various motor carriers, express companies, freight forwarders, air couriers and others. Competition may also come from other sources in the future. Some of our competitors have cost and organizational structures that differ from ours and may offer services and pricing terms that we may not be willing or able to offer. If we are unable to timely and appropriately respond to competitive pressures, our business, financial position and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The transportation industry continues to consolidate and competition remains strong. As a result of consolidation, our competitors may increase their market share and improve their financial capacity, and may strengthen their competitive positions. Business combinations could also result in competitors providing a wider variety of services and products at competitive prices, which could adversely affect our financial performance.

Changes in our relationships with our significant customers, including the loss or reduction in business from one or more of them, could have an adverse impact on us.

No single customer accounts for 10% or more of our consolidated revenue. We do not believe the loss of any single customer would materially impair our overall financial condition or results of operations; however, collectively, some of our large customers might account for a relatively significant portion of the growth in revenue in a particular quarter or year. These customers can drive the growth in revenue for particular services based on factors such as: new customer product launches; trends in the e-commerce industry, such as the seasonality associated with the fourth quarter holiday season; business mergers and acquisitions; and the overall fast growth of a customer's underlying business. These customers could choose to divert all or a portion of their business with us to one of our competitors, demand pricing concessions for our services, require us to provide enhanced services that increase our costs, or develop their own shipping and distribution capabilities. If these factors drove some of our large customers to cancel all or a portion of their business relationships with us, it could materially impact the growth in our business and the ability to meet our current and long-term financial forecasts. 

Our business is subject to complex and stringent regulation in the U.S. and internationally.

We are subject to complex and stringent aviation, transportation, environmental, security, labor, employment and other governmental laws, regulations and policies, both in the U.S. and in the other countries in which we operate. In addition, our business is impacted by laws, regulations and policies that affect global trade, including tariff and trade policies, export requirements, taxes, monetary policies and other restrictions and charges. Changes in laws, regulations and policies and the related interpretations may alter the landscape in which we do business and may affect our costs of doing business. The impact of new laws, regulations and policies cannot be predicted. Compliance with new laws and regulations may increase our operating costs or require significant capital expenditures. Any failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations in the U.S. or in any of the countries in which we operate could result in substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct our operations, which could adversely affect our financial performance.

Increased security requirements could impose substantial costs on us and we could be the target of an attack or have a security breach.

As a result of concerns about global terrorism and homeland security, governments around the world have adopted or may adopt stricter security requirements that will result in increased operating costs for businesses in the transportation industry. These requirements may change periodically as a result of regulatory and legislative requirements and in response to evolving threats. We cannot determine the effect that these new requirements will have on our cost structure or our operating results, and these rules or other future security requirements may increase our costs of operations and reduce operating efficiencies. Regardless of our compliance with security requirements or the steps we take to secure our facilities or fleet, we could be the target of an attack or security breaches could occur, which could adversely affect our operations or our reputation.

We may be affected by global climate change or by legal, regulatory or market responses to such a potential change.

Concern over climate change, including the impact of global warming, has led to significant federal, state and international legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions. For example, in the past several years, the U.S. Congress has considered various bills that would regulate GHG emissions. While these bills have not yet received sufficient Congressional support for enactment, some form of federal climate change legislation is possible in the future. Even in the absence of such legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency, spurred by judicial interpretation of the Clean Air Act, may regulate GHG emissions, especially aircraft or diesel engine emissions, and this could impose substantial costs on us. These costs include an increase in the cost of the fuel and other energy we purchase and capital costs associated with updating or replacing our aircraft or vehicles prematurely. Until the timing, scope and extent of any future regulation becomes known, we cannot predict its effect on our cost structure or our operating results. It is reasonably possible that such legislation or regulation could impose material costs on us. Moreover, even without such legislation or regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about the GHGs emitted by companies in the airline and transportation industries could harm our reputation and reduce customer demand for our services, especially our air services.

Strikes, work stoppages and slowdowns by our employees could adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations.

A significant number of our employees are employed under a national master agreement and various supplemental agreements with local unions affiliated with the Teamsters. In addition, our airline pilots, airline mechanics, ground mechanics and certain other employees are employed under other collective bargaining agreements. Strikes, work stoppages and slowdowns by our employees could adversely affect our ability to meet our customers' needs, and customers may do more business with competitors if they believe that such actions or threatened actions may adversely affect our ability to provide services. We may face a permanent loss of customers if we are unable to provide uninterrupted service, and this could adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations. The terms of future collective bargaining agreements also may affect our competitive position and results of operations.

We are exposed to the effects of changing prices of energy, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, and interruptions in supplies of these commodities.

Changing fuel and energy costs may have a significant impact on our operations. We require significant quantities of fuel for our aircraft and delivery vehicles and are exposed to the risk associated with variations in the market price for petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. We mitigate our exposure to changing fuel prices through our indexed fuel surcharges and we may also enter into hedging transactions from time to time. If we are unable to maintain or increase our fuel surcharges, higher fuel costs could adversely impact our operating results. Even if we are able to offset the cost of fuel with our surcharges, high fuel surcharges may result in a mix shift from our higher-yielding air products to lower-yielding ground products or an overall reduction in volume. There can be no assurance that our hedging transactions will be effective to protect us from changes in fuel prices. Moreover, we could experience a disruption in energy supplies, including our supply of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as a result of war, actions by producers or other factors beyond our control, which could have an adverse effect on our business.

Changes in exchange rates or interest rates may have an adverse effect on our results.

We conduct business across the globe with a significant portion of our revenue derived from operations outside the United States. Our operations in international markets are affected by changes in the exchange rates for local currencies, and in particular the Euro, British Pound Sterling, Canadian Dollar, Chinese Renminbi and Hong Kong Dollar.

We are exposed to changes in interest rates, primarily on our short-term debt and that portion of our long-term debt that carries floating interest rates. The impact of a 100-basis-point change in interest rates affecting our debt is discussed in the "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" section of this report. Additionally, changes in interest rates impact the valuation of our pension and postretirement benefit obligations and the related benefit cost recognized in the income statement. The impact of changes in interest rates on our pension and postretirement benefit obligations and costs is discussed further in the "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" section of this report.

We monitor and manage our exposures to changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, and make use of derivative instruments to mitigate the impact of changes in these rates on our financial position and results of operations; however, changes in exchange rates and interest rates cannot always be predicted or hedged.

If we are unable to maintain our brand image and corporate reputation, our business may suffer.

Our success depends in part on our ability to maintain the image of the UPS brand and our reputation for providing excellent service to our customers. Service quality issues, actual or perceived, even when false or unfounded, could tarnish the image of our brand and may cause customers to use other companies. Also, adverse publicity surrounding labor relations, environmental concerns, security matters, political activities and the like, or attempts to connect our company to these sorts of issues, either in the United States or other countries in which we operate, could negatively affect our overall reputation and acceptance of our services by customers. Damage to our reputation and loss of brand equity could reduce demand for our services and thus have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations, and could require additional resources to rebuild our reputation and restore the value of our brand.

A significant privacy breach or IT system disruption could adversely affect our business and we may be required to increase our spending on data and system security.

We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities. In addition, the provision of service to our customers and the operation of our networks and systems involve the storage and transmission of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data, including personal information of customers, employees and others. Our franchised center locations also are reliant on the use of information technology systems to manage their business processes and activities.  Our information technology systems (as well as those of our franchisees), some of which are managed by third-parties, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof, power outages, hardware failures, computer viruses, attacks by computer hackers, malicious insiders, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events. Hackers, acting individually or in coordinated groups, may also launch distributed denial of service attacks or other coordinated attacks that may cause service outages or other interruptions in our business. In addition, breaches in security could expose us, our customers and franchisees, or the individuals affected, to a risk of loss or misuse of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems change frequently, may be difficult to detect for a long time and often are not recognized until launched against a target. As a result, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.

Any of these occurrences could result in disruptions in our operations, the loss of existing or potential customers, damage to our brand and reputation, and litigation and potential liability for the company. In addition, the cost and operational consequences of implementing further data or system protection measures could be significant. In August 2014, a broad-based malware intrusion targeting retailers throughout the U.S. was discovered and subsequently eradicated at approximately 1% of our franchisees' locations. While the impact of this cyber-attack, including the costs associated with investigation and remediation activities, was not material to our business and our financial results, our efforts to deter, identify, mitigate and/or eliminate any future breaches may not be successful.

Severe weather or other natural or manmade disasters could adversely affect our business.

Severe weather conditions and other natural or manmade disasters, including storms, floods, fires or earthquakes, epidemics or pandemics, conflicts or unrest, or terrorist attacks may result in decreased revenues, as our customers reduce their shipments, or increased costs to operate our business, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations for a quarter or year. Any such event affecting one of our major facilities could result in a significant interruption in or disruption of our business.

We make significant capital investments in our business of which a significant portion is tied to projected volume levels.

We require significant capital investments in our business consisting of aircraft, vehicles, technology, facilities and sorting and other types of equipment to support both our existing business and anticipated growth. Forecasting projected volume involves many factors which are subject to uncertainty, such as general economic trends, changes in governmental regulation and competition. If we do not accurately forecast our future capital investment needs, we could have excess capacity or insufficient capacity, either of which would negatively affect our revenues and profitability. In addition to forecasting our capital investment requirements, we adjust other elements of our operations and cost structure in response to adverse economic conditions; however, these adjustments may not be sufficient to allow us to maintain our operating margins in a weak economy.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from our international operations and are subject to the risks of doing business in international markets.

We have significant international operations and while the geographical diversity of our international operations helps ensure that we are not overly reliant on a single region or country, we are continually exposed to changing economic, political and social developments beyond our control. Emerging markets are typically more volatile than those in the developed world, and any broad-based downturn in these markets could reduce our revenues and adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations. We are subject to many laws governing our international operations, including those that prohibit improper payments to government officials and commercial customers, and restrict where we can do business, our shipments to certain countries and the information that we can provide to non-U.S. governments.

We are subject to changes in markets and our business plans that have resulted, and may in the future result, in substantial write-downs of the carrying value of our assets, thereby reducing our net income.

Our regular review of the carrying value of our assets has resulted, from time to time, in significant impairments, and we may in the future be required to recognize additional impairment charges. Changes in business strategy, government regulations, or economic or market conditions have resulted and may result in further substantial impairments of our intangible, fixed or other assets at any time in the future. In addition, we have been and may be required in the future to recognize increased depreciation and amortization charges if we determine that the useful lives of our fixed assets or intangible assets are shorter than we originally estimated. Such changes could reduce our net income.

Employee health and retiree health and pension benefit costs represent a significant expense to us.

Our expenses relating to employee health and retiree health and pension benefits are significant. In recent years, we have experienced significant increases in some of these costs, largely as a result of economic factors beyond our control, including, in particular, ongoing increases in health care costs well in excess of the rate of inflation and historically low discount rates that we use to value our benefit plan obligations. Continually increasing health care costs, volatility in investment returns and discount rates, as well as changes in laws, regulations and assumptions used to calculate retiree health and pension benefit expenses, may adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations or require significant contributions to our benefit plans. The new national master agreement with the IBT includes changes that are designed to mitigate certain of these health care expenses, but there can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful or that the failure or success of these efforts will not adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

We participate in a number of trustee-managed multiemployer pension and health and welfare plans for employees covered under collective bargaining agreements. As part of the overall collective bargaining process for wage and benefit levels, we have agreed to contribute certain amounts to the multiemployer benefit plans during the contract period. The multiemployer benefit plans set benefit levels and are responsible for benefit delivery to participants. Future contribution amounts to multiemployer benefit plans will be determined only through collective bargaining, and we have no additional legal or constructive obligation to increase contributions beyond the agreed-upon amounts (except potential surcharges under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 in the event that a plan enters critical status, and our contributions are not sufficient to satisfy any rehabilitation plan funding schedule). In future collective bargaining negotiations, we could agree to make significantly higher future contributions to improve the funded status of one or more of these plans. The funded status of these multiemployer plans is impacted by various factors, including investment performance, health care inflation, changes in demographics and changes in participant benefit levels. At this time, we are unable to determine the amount of additional future contributions, if any, or whether any material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity could result from our participation in these plans. 

In addition to our on-going multiemployer pension plan obligations, we may have additional exposure with respect to benefits earned in the Central States Pension Fund (the "CSPF"). UPS was a contributing employer to the CSPF until 2007 when we withdrew from the plan and fully funded our allocable share of unfunded vested benefits by paying a $6.1 billion withdrawal liability. Under a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, UPS agreed to provide coordinating benefits in the UPS/IBT Full Time Employee Pension Plan ("UPS/IBT Plan") for UPS participants retiring on or after January 1, 2008 in the event that benefits are lawfully reduced by the CSPF in the future.

In December 2014, Congress passed the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act ("MPRA"), which for the first time ever allowed multiemployer pension plans to reduce benefit payments to retirees, subject to specific guidelines in the statute and government oversight. In September 2015, the CSPF submitted a proposed pension benefit reduction plan to the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the MPRA. The CSPF plan proposed to reduce retirement benefits to the CSPF participants, including UPS participants retiring on or after January 1, 2008. We vigorously challenged the proposed benefit reduction plan because we believed that it did not comply with the law and that certain actions by the CSPF were invalid. On May 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of the Treasury rejected the proposed plan submitted by the CSPF, stating that it failed to satisfy a number of requirements set forth in the MPRA.

The CSPF has asserted that it will become insolvent in 2025 which could lead to the reduction of retirement benefits. Although there are numerous factors that could affect the CSPF's status, if the CSPF were to become insolvent as they have projected, UPS may be required to provide coordinating benefits, thereby increasing the current projected benefit obligation for the UPS/IBT Plan by approximately $4 billion. The CSPF has said that it believes a legislative solution to its funding status is necessary, and we expect that the CSPF will continue to explore options to avoid insolvency.

The potential obligation to pay coordinating benefits from the UPS/IBT Plan is subject to a number of uncertainties, including actions that may be taken by the CSPF, the federal government or others. These actions include whether the CSPF will submit a revised pension benefit reduction plan or otherwise seek federal government assistance, the extent to which benefits are paid by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, as well as the effect of discount rates and various other actuarial assumptions. Our best estimate, as of the measurement date of December 31, 2016, is that we do not have any liability for additional coordinating benefits of the UPS/IBT Plan. However, there are numerous uncertainties that exist regarding the ultimate resolution of the CSPF situation and the current projected benefit obligation could materially increase as these uncertainties are resolved . We will continue to assess the impact of these uncertainties on the projected benefit obligation of the UPS/IBT Plan in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715 - Compensation - Retirement Benefits.

We may be subject to various claims and lawsuits that could result in significant expenditures.

The nature of our business exposes us to the potential for various claims and litigation related to labor and employment, personal injury, property damage, business practices, environmental liability and other matters. Any material litigation or a catastrophic accident or series of accidents could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

We may not realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic alliances.

As part of our business strategy, we may acquire businesses and form joint ventures or strategic alliances. Whether we realize the anticipated benefits from these transactions depends, in part, upon the successful integration between the businesses involved, the performance of the underlying operations, capabilities or technologies and the management of the acquired operations. Accordingly, our financial results could be adversely affected by our failure to effectively integrate the acquired operations, unanticipated performance issues, transaction-related charges or charges for impairment of long-term assets that we acquire.

Insurance and claims expenses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have a combination of both self-insurance and high-deductible insurance programs for the risks arising out of the services we provide and the nature of our global operations, including claims exposure resulting from cargo loss, personal injury, property damage, aircraft and related liabilities, business interruption and workers' compensation. Workers' compensation, automobile and general liabilities are determined using actuarial estimates of the aggregate liability for claims incurred and an estimate of incurred but not reported claims, on an undiscounted basis. Our accruals for insurance reserves reflect certain actuarial assumptions and management judgments, which are subject to a high degree of variability. If the number or severity of claims for which we are retaining risk increases, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. If we lose our ability to self-insure these risks, our insurance costs could materially increase and we may find it difficult to obtain adequate levels of insurance coverage.

Not applicable.

Operating Facilities

We own our headquarters, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia and consists of about 745,000 square feet of office space in an office campus, and our UPS Supply Chain Solutions group's headquarters, which is located in Alpharetta, Georgia and consists of about 310,000 square feet of office space.

We own or lease 33 principal U.S. package operating facilities, which have floor space up to approximately 1.9 million square feet, the largest being our operating facility near Chicago, Illinois, which is designed to streamline shipments between East Coast and West Coast destinations. In total, we own or lease over 1,000 additional package operating facilities in the U.S. The smaller of these facilities have vehicles and drivers stationed for the pick-up and delivery of packages, and capacity to sort and transfer packages. The larger of these facilities also service our vehicles and equipment, and employ specialized mechanical installations for the sorting and handling of packages.We own or lease more than 800 facilities that support our international package operations.

In addition, we own or lease more than 500 facilities, with approximately 33 million square feet of floor space, that support our freight forwarding and logistics operations. We own and operate a logistics campus consisting of approximately 3.7 million square feet in Louisville, Kentucky.

We own or lease approximately 200 UPS Freight service centers with approximately 6 million square feet of floor space. The main offices of UPS Freight are located in Richmond, Virginia and consist of about 217,000 square feet of office space.

Our aircraft are operated in a hub and spoke pattern in the U.S., with our principal air hub, known as Worldport, located in Louisville, Kentucky. The Worldport facility consists of over 5 million square feet and the site includes approximately 600 acres with a sorting capacity of approximately 416,000 packages per hour and includes high-speed conveyor and computer control systems.

Our U.S. regional air hubs are located in Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Ontario, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Rockford, Illinois. These hubs house facilities for the sorting, transfer and delivery of packages. Our European air hub is located in Cologne, Germany, and we maintain Asia-Pacific air hubs in Shanghai, China; Shenzhen, China; and Hong Kong. Our regional air hub in Canada is located in Hamilton, Ontario, and our regional air hub for Latin America and the Caribbean is in Miami, Florida.

The UPS International Air Hub at Pudong International Airport was built on land totaling 2.4 million square feet with a sorting capacity of 17,000 packages per hour. This hub links all of China via Shanghai to UPS's international network, and has direct service to the Americas, Europe and other parts of Asia; it also connects points served in China by UPS through a dedicated service provided by Yangtze River Express, a Chinese all-cargo airline.

We also have an intra-Asia air hub at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in China. The Shenzhen facility, which was built on almost one million square feet of land, has a sorting capacity of 18,000 packages per hour and serves as our primary transit hub in Asia.

Our primary information technology operations are consolidated in a 443,600 square foot owned facility, the Ramapo Ridge facility, which is located on a 39-acre site in Mahwah, New Jersey. We also own a 175,000 square foot facility located on a 25-acre site in Alpharetta, Georgia, which serves as a backup to the main information technology operations facility in New Jersey. This facility provides production functions and backup capacity in the event that a power outage or other disaster incapacitates the main data center. It also helps to meet our internal communication needs.

We believe that our facilities are adequate to support our current operations.

Fleet

Aircraft

The following table shows information about our aircraft fleet as of December 31, 2016 :

*Includes one Boeing MD-11F not in operation pending disposal

We maintain an inventory of spare engines and parts for each aircraft.

All the aircraft we own meet Stage IV federal noise regulations and can operate at airports that have aircraft noise restrictions.

We currently have 14 new Boeing 747-8F cargo aircraft on order to meet increased demand for our air shipping services. The 14 aircraft are to be delivered between 2017 and 2020. We also have options for 14 additional 747-8F cargo aircraft.

Vehicles

We operate a global ground fleet of approximately 114,000 package cars, vans, tractors and motorcycles. Our ground support fleet consists of 34,000 pieces of equipment designed specifically to support our aircraft fleet, ranging from non-powered container dollies and racks to powered aircraft main deck loaders and cargo tractors. We also have 40,000 containers used to transport cargo in our aircraft.

For a discussion of legal proceedings affecting us and our subsidiaries, please see the information under note 4 to the audited consolidated financial statements for a discussion of pension related matters and note 9 for a discussion of judicial proceedings and other matters arising from the conduct of our business activities.

Not applicable.

PART II

Our class A common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or traded in an organized over-the-counter market, but each share of our class A common stock is convertible into one share of our class B common stock.

The following is a summary of our class B common stock price activity and dividend information for 2016 and 2015 . Our class B common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "UPS".

As of February 8, 2017 , there were 153,902 and 18,637 record holders of class A and class B common stock, respectively.

Our practice has been to pay dividends on a quarterly basis. The declaration of dividends is subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on various factors, including our net income, financial condition, cash requirements, future prospects and other relevant factors.

On February 8, 2017 , our Board declared a dividend of $0.83 per share, which is payable on March 8, 2017 to shareowners of record on February 21, 2017 . This represents a 6% increase from the previous $0.78 quarterly dividend in 2016 .

A summary of repurchases of our class A and class B common stock during the fourth quarter of 2016 is as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):

In May 2016 , the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase authorization of $ 8.0 billion, which replaced an authorization previously announced in 2013 . The new share repurchase authorization has no expiration date. We anticipate repurchasing approximately $ 1.8 billion of shares in 2017 .

Shareowner Return Performance Graph

The following performance graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates such information by reference into such filing.

The following graph shows a five year comparison of cumulative total shareowners' returns for our class B common stock, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the Dow Jones Transportation Average. The comparison of the total cumulative return on investment, which is the change in the quarterly stock price plus reinvested dividends for each of the quarterly periods, assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2011 in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, the Dow Jones Transportation Average and our class B common stock.

The following table sets forth selected financial data for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2016 (in millions, except per share amounts). This financial data should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, including the Items Affecting Comparability section, and other financial data appearing elsewhere in this report.

Overview

The U.S. economic environment was mixed in 2016 as relatively stable consumer conditions were somewhat offset by continued weakness in industrial production and soft business investment. U.S. manufacturing has shown positive signs of growth in recent months, reaching a two-year high in the fourth quarter of 2016, and we continue to see modest GDP growth. Consumer confidence reached a high in the fourth quarter of 2016 and there were lower fuel prices coupled with the continuation of steady job growth throughout the year. Holiday retail sales grew 4% in 2016 as compared to last year, mainly driven by online sales, while the holiday season saw many categories of traditional brick and mortar stores struggle. Continued growth in e-commerce and omni-channel retail sales has driven package volume demand for residential products. Given these trends, our products most aligned with business-to-consumer shipments have experienced the strongest growth.

Outside the U.S., emerging markets have stabilized in recent months and most developed nations have seen modest growth. The impending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union creates some uncertainty regarding its impact on global GDP. The uneven nature of economic growth worldwide and fluctuations in currency markets, particularly the strengthening of the U.S. Dollar, have continued shifting trade patterns and weakened demand in certain trade lanes. As a result of these circumstances, we continued to adjust our air capacity and cost structure in our transportation network to better match the prevailing volume levels. Our broad portfolio of product offerings and the flexibilities inherent in our transportation network have helped us adapt to these changing trends.

While the worldwide economic environment remained challenging in 2016, we have continued to undertake several initiatives in the U.S. and internationally to (1) improve the flexibility and capacity in our transportation network; (2) improve yield management; and (3) increase operational efficiency and contain costs across all segments. Most notably, the continued deployment of technology improvements (including several facility automation projects and the accelerated deployment of our On Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation system - "ORION") should continue to increase our network capacity and improve operational efficiency, flexibility and reliability. Additionally, we have continued to utilize newly expanded operating facilities to improve time-in-transit for shipments in each region.

Our consolidated results are presented in the table below:

Items Affecting Comparability

The results and discussions that follow are reflective of how our executive management monitors the performance of our reporting segments. We supplement the reporting of our financial information determined under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") with certain non-GAAP financial measures, including "adjusted" compensation and benefits, operating expenses, operating profit, operating margin, income tax expense and effective tax rate. These adjustments reflect the non-comparable items discussed below. We believe that these adjusted measures provide meaningful information to assist investors and analysts in understanding our financial results and assessing our prospects for future performance. We believe these adjusted financial measures are important indicators of our recurring results of operations because they exclude items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, our underlying operations results, and provide a useful baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses. Additionally, these adjusted financial measures are used internally by management for the determination of incentive compensation awards, business unit operating performance analysis and business unit resource allocation.

The year-over-year comparisons of our financial results are affected by the following items (in millions):

These items have been excluded from comparisons of "adjusted" compensation and benefits, operating expenses, operating profit, operating margin, income tax expense and effective tax rate in the discussion that follows. The income tax effects of these adjustments are calculated by multiplying the statutory tax rates applicable in each tax jurisdiction, including the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various U.S. state and non-U.S. jurisdictions, by the adjustments. The blended average of the applicable statutory tax rates in 2016, 2015 and 2014 were 36.9% , 33.1% and 37.2% respectively.

Defined Benefit Plans Mark-to-Market Charges

We recognize changes in the fair value of plan assets and net actuarial gains and losses in excess of a 10% corridor for our pension and postretirement defined benefit plans immediately as part of net periodic benefit cost. We supplement the presentation of our operating profit and operating margin with "adjusted" measures that exclude the impact of the portion of net periodic benefit cost represented by the gains and losses recognized in excess of the 10% corridor and the related income tax effects.

The adjustments made to exclude these mark-to-market adjustments utilize the expected return on plan assets ($2.580 billion, $2.567 billion and $2.343 billion for 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively) and the discount rates used for determining net periodic benefit cost. The non-adjusted net periodic benefit cost reflects the actual return on plan assets ($1.846 billion, $110 million and $2.600 billion for 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively) and the discount rates used for measuring the projected benefit obligation as summarized in the table below. We believe excluding these mark-to-market charges from our adjusted results provides important supplemental information that reflects the anticipated long-term cost of our defined benefit plans and provides a benchmark for historical defined benefit cost trends that may provide a useful comparison of year-to-year financial performance without considering the short-term impact of changes in market interest rates, equity prices and similar factors.

In 2016, we recognized pre-tax mark-to-market losses in compensation and benefits expense of $2.651 billion on our pension and postretirement defined benefit plans related to the remeasurement of plan assets and liabilities recognized outside of a 10% corridor. These charges impacted our U.S. Domestic Package segment ($1.908 billion), International Package segment ($425 million) and Supply Chain & Freight segment ($318 million).

In 2015, we recognized pre-tax mark-to-market losses in compensation and benefits expense of $118 million on our pension and postretirement defined benefit plans related to the remeasurement of plan assets and liabilities recognized outside of a 10% corridor. These charges impacted our U.S. Domestic Package segment ($62 million), International Package segment ($44 million) and Supply Chain & Freight segment ($12 million).

In 2014, we recognized pre-tax mark-to-market losses in compensation and benefits expense of $1.062 billion on our pension and postretirement defined benefit plans related to the remeasurement of plan assets and liabilities recognized outside of a 10% corridor. These charges impacted our U.S. Domestic Package segment ($660 million), International Package segment ($200 million) and Supply Chain & Freight segment ($202 million).

The table below indicates the amounts associated with each component of the pre-tax mark-to-market loss, as well as the weighted-average actuarial assumptions used to determine our net periodic benefit costs, for each year:

The $2.651, $0.118 and $1.062 billion pre-tax mark-to-market losses for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, were comprised of the following components:

2016 - $2.651 billion pre-tax mark-to-market loss:

2015 - $118 million pre-tax mark-to-market loss:

2014 - $1.062 billion pre-tax mark-to-market loss:

Health and Welfare Plan Charges

In connection with the ratification of our national master agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ("Teamsters") in 2014, we incurred pre-tax charges totaling $1.102 billion associated with changes in the delivery of healthcare benefits to certain active and retired union employees. These one-time charges are discussed in further detail in the "Collective Bargaining Agreements" section and do not reflect the obligations of our on-going business. We believe adjusting for these charges provides important supplemental information that is reflective of long-term trends and that may provide useful comparison of year-to-year financial performance without considering the short-term impact of one-time health and welfare plan charges.

These charges impacted our U.S. Domestic Package segment ($990 million), International Package segment ($28 million) and Supply Chain & Freight segment ($84 million).

Rate Adjustments

Effective February 6, 2017, the U.S. fuel surcharge will be adjusted weekly and the U.S. Import fuel surcharge percentage will increase and be assessed independently of the U.S. Air and Export fuel surcharge.

Effective January 8, 2017, the Additional Handling charge will be assessed for any package with the longest side exceeding 48 inches, instead of 60 inches. Additionally, we will change the dimensional weight calculation for U.S. domestic services and UPS Standard from Canada import packages subject to UPS Daily rates. Also, transactional requests for refunds under the UPS Service Guarantee will not be paid where timely upload of package-level detail is not provided, as set forth in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service.

Effective December 26, 2016, UPS Ground rates and accessorial charges increased by an average net 4.9%. UPS Air and International services and accessorials, including UPS Air Freight rates within and between the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, increased an average net 4.9%. UPS Freight's Density-Based rate tariff will increase an average net of 4.9%.

These rate changes are customary and occur on an annual basis. Rate changes for shipments originating outside the U.S. are made throughout the year and vary by geographic market.

Expense Allocations

Certain operating expenses are allocated between our reporting segments based on activity-based costing methods. These activity-based costing methods require us to make estimates that impact the amount of each expense category that is attributed to each segment. Changes in these estimates will directly impact the amount of expense allocated to each segment, and therefore the operating profit of each reporting segment. There were no significant changes in our expense allocation methodology during 2016 , 2015 or 2014 .

U.S. Domestic Package Operations

Revenue

The change in overall revenue was impacted by the following factors for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 , compared with the corresponding prior year periods:

Volume

2016 compared to 2015

Our total volume increased across all products in 2016, largely due to continued growth in e-commerce and overall retail sales and the impact of one additional operating day. Business-to-consumer shipments, which represented more than 48% of total U.S. Domestic Package volume, grew nearly 9% for the year and 11.5% in the fourth quarter, which drove increases in both air and ground shipments. Business-to-business volume remained flat in 2016 due to revenue management initiatives and the overall slowing of the industrial manufacturing sector, offset by increased volume from the retail industry, including the use of our solutions for omni-channel (including ship-from-store and ship-to-store models) and returns shipping.

Next Day Air volume increased 5.2% in 2016, due to strong growth in e-commerce. We also experienced increased volume for our deferred air services in 2016, particularly for those products most aligned with business-to-consumer shipping, such as our residential Second Day Air Package and Three Day Select products partially offset by decreases in our business-to-business deferred air volume.

The increase in ground volume in 2016 was driven by growth in residential ground and SurePost volume while business-to-business shipments remained flat. Accelerating growth in e-commerce drove demand for our SurePost service, with volume increasing 19% in 2016.

2015 compared to 2014

Our total volume increased in 2015, largely due to faster growing premium air products, continued growth in e-commerce and overall retail sales and the impact of one additional operating day. Business-to-consumer shipments, which represented more than 45% of total U.S. Domestic Package volume, grew nearly 3% for the year and drove increases in both air and ground shipments. Business-to-business volume grew 1% in 2015, largely due to increased volume from the retail industry including the use of our solutions for omni-channel (including ship-from-store and ship-to-store models) and returns shipping.

Among our air products, we experienced increased volume for our deferred air services in 2015, particularly for those products most aligned with business-to-consumer shipping, such as our residential Second Day Air Package and Three Day Select products. We also experienced solid growth in our business-to-business deferred air volume, largely due to increases in the retail sector. Next Day Air volume increased 3.3% in 2015, due to strong growth in e-commerce.

The increase in ground volume in 2015 was driven by growth in residential ground and SurePost volume and business-to-business shipping activity. The continued growth in e-commerce drove demand for our SurePost service, with volume increasing 3% in 2015. The increase in business-to-business ground volume was largely due to growth in omni-channel retail volume, the increased use of our returns service offerings and the growth in shipments from the retail sector.

Rates and Product Mix

2016 compared to 2015

Overall revenue per piece decreased 0.3% in 2016, and was impacted by changes in base rates, customer and product mix and fuel surcharge rates.

Ground revenue per piece decreased in 2016, primarily due to customer and product mix changes, which adversely impacted revenue per piece as a greater portion of volume in 2016, relative to 2015, came from residential customers and lighter-weight shipments as Surepost volume surged. Additionally, lower fuel surcharge rates contributed to the decline. These drivers more than offset the rate actions taken since the fourth quarter of 2015.

Revenue per piece for Next Day Air products declined in 2016, while our deferred air products increased. All products were negatively impacted by lower fuel surcharge rates. The Next Day Air revenue per piece decline was caused by a shift in customer and product mix as well as an increase in lighter-weight packages. We experienced relatively stronger growth in our lighter-weight business-to-consumer shipments, particularly our Next Day Air Saver product, which have lower average yields than our heavier-weight commercial shipments. Customer mix also adversely impacted Next Day Air revenue per piece, due to faster volume growth among our larger customers, which have a lower average yield than our small and middle-market customers. Deferred revenue per piece increased primarily due to heavier-weight packages partially offset by product mix.

Revenue per piece for ground and air products was positively impacted by a base rate increase on December 28, 2015. UPS Ground rates and accessorial charges increased an average net 4.9%, while UPS Air services and accessorial charges increased an average net 5.2%. The surcharge increased for Over Maximum Packages and the index tables for the Ground and Air fuel surcharges were adjusted effective November 2, 2015. A charge for UPS's Third-Party Billing Service was implemented, effective January 4, 2016. Additionally, the dimensions of ground packages incurring the UPS Additional Handling charge were changed effective June 6, 2016.

2015 compared to 2014

Overall revenue per piece increased 0.3% in 2015, and was impacted by changes in base rates, customer and product mix and fuel surcharge rates.

Revenue per piece for our ground and air products was positively impacted by an increase in base rates which took effect on December 29, 2014 and an increase in surcharge rates that took effect November 2, 2015. We implemented an average 4.9% net increase in base and accessorial rates on UPS Next Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS 3 Day Select and UPS Ground. Additionally, a pricing change involving the application of dimensional weight pricing to all UPS Ground services took effect on December 29, 2014. On November 2, 2015, the surcharge increased for Over Maximum Packages and the indices for Ground, Air and International fuel surcharges were adjusted.

Revenue per piece decreased for our Next Day Air and deferred air products in 2015, as lower fuel surcharge rates more than offset the positive impact of the base rate increase. Product mix adversely impacted Next Day Air and deferred revenue per piece, as we experienced relatively stronger growth in our lighter-weight business-to-consumer shipments, which have lower average yields than our heavier-weight commercial shipments. Customer mix also adversely impacted Next Day Air and deferred revenue per piece, due to faster volume growth among our larger customers, which typically have a lower average yield than our small and middle-market customers.

Ground revenue per piece increased in 2015, primarily due to the base rate increase, the dimensional weight pricing change and product mix. Additionally, the revenue per piece for our traditional ground residential products was positively impacted by our decision not to pursue certain lower-yielding customer contract renewals. These factors were partially offset by declines in fuel surcharge rates as well as changes in customer mix, as we experienced faster volume growth among our larger customers.

Fuel Surcharges

UPS applies a fuel surcharge on our domestic air and ground services. The air fuel surcharge is based on the U.S. Department of Energy's ("DOE") Gulf Coast spot price for a gallon of kerosene-type jet fuel, while the ground fuel surcharge is based on the DOE's On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price. Based on published rates, the average fuel surcharge rates for domestic air and ground products were as follows:

Total domestic fuel surcharge revenue decreased by $219 million in 2016 as a result of lower fuel surcharge rates caused by declining jet and diesel fuel prices, partially offset by the overall increase in package volume for the period. In 2015, total fuel surcharge revenue declined by $843 million as a result of lower fuel surcharge rates caused by declining jet and diesel fuel prices; however, the impact of lower fuel prices was partially mitigated by changes to the fuel surcharge indices, as well as the overall increase in package volume for the period.

Operating Expenses

2016 compared to 2015

Operating expenses for the period increased $3.3 billion, which included a $1.8 billion increase increase in mark-to-market pension charges. Excluding the impact of the defined benefit plan mark-to-market charges, adjusted operating expenses for the segment increased $1.5 billion in 2016, primarily due to pick-up and delivery costs (up $814 million), the cost of operating our domestic integrated air and ground transportation network (up $282 million), the costs of package sorting (up $181 million) and accessorials and indirect operating costs (up $180 million). Adjusted operating expenses were impacted by several factors:

Total cost per piece increased 5.5% in 2016 compared to 2015 and was primarily impacted by a 540 basis point increase due to the defined benefit plan mark-to-market charge and the cost increases described previously. These increases were partially offset by the continued deployment of ORION, which has contained the growth of average daily vehicle miles driven, and the increased redirect of SurePost volume to optimize delivery density on UPS vehicles, which has reduced the delivery costs for business-to-consumer shipments.

2015 compared to 2014

Operating expenses decreased $1 billion in 2015, primarily due to $1.6 billion of health and welfare plan charges in 2014 that did not recur in 2015 and significantly less pension mark-to-market charges in 2015 compared to 2014. Excluding the impact of the health and welfare plan charges and pension mark-to-market charges, adjusted operating expenses for the segment increased $576 million in 2015, primarily due to pick-up and delivery costs (up $602 million), the costs of package sorting (up $172 million) and indirect operating costs (up $122 million). The cost increases were partially offset by a reduction in the cost of operating our domestic integrated air and ground transportation network (down $319 million). These costs were impacted by several factors:

Total cost per piece decreased 5.2% in 2015 compared to 2014 and was primarily impacted by a 480 basis point decrease due to the defined benefit plan mark-to-market charge and the cost increases described previously. Productivity improvements have continued to be realized through adjusting our air and ground networks to better match volume levels and utilizing technology to increase package sorting and delivery efficiency. The continued deployment of ORION has contained the average daily vehicle miles driven (down 0.4%) even as package volume increased (up 1.8%).

Operating Profit and Margin

2016 compared to 2015

Operating profit decreased $1.8 billion in 2016 compared with 2015, primarily due to a $1.8 billion increase in mark-to-market pension charges to operating expense. Operating margin decreased 510 basis points to 7.9%. Adjusted operating profit increased $96 million in 2016 compared with 2015, while the adjusted operating margin decreased 20 basis points to 12.9%. Revenue growth from increased volume and enhanced productivity through the continued deployment of ORION technology resulted in higher operating profit, but was offset by an unfavorable shift in customer and product mix, especially in the fourth quarter. The net impact of fuel also negatively impacted operating profit as fuel surcharge revenue decreased faster than fuel expense.

2015 compared to 2014

Operating profit increased $1.9 billion in 2015 compared with 2014, primarily due to $1.6 billion of health and welfare plan charges and pension mark-to-market charges that were significantly less in 2015. Operating margin increased 500 basis points to 13.0%. Adjusted operating profit increased $320 million in 2015 compared with 2014, while the adjusted operating margin increased 50 basis points to 13.1%. Overall volume growth allowed us to better leverage our transportation network, leading to improved productivity (resulting in a lower cost per piece) discussed previously. This was slightly offset by higher pension and healthcare costs, contractual union wage increases and the negative impact of fuel (fuel surcharge revenue decreased faster than fuel expense).

International Package Operations

Revenue

The change in overall revenue was impacted by the following factors for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 , compared with the corresponding prior year periods:

Volume

2016 compared to 2015

Our overall average daily volume increased in 2016, largely due to continued strength in business-to-consumer volume, as well as strong demand from several sectors including retail, industrial, high-tech and healthcare.

We continued to experience export volume growth in 2016. The growth was mainly driven by our European and Asian operations, which experienced increases in volume to all regions of the world. European export volume increased in 2016, with particular strength in the Europe-to-U.S. and intra-Europe trade lanes. Asia export volume also increased in 2016, with growth in all trade lanes. However, U.S. export volume declined largely due to the impact of the stronger U.S. Dollar. Export volume growth was distributed across all products led by our Worldwide Express product.

The increase in domestic volume in 2016 was primarily due to growth in Italy, France, Turkey and Mexico.

2015 compared to 2014

Our overall average daily volume increased in 2015, largely due to continued strength in business-to-consumer volume, as well as strong demand from several sectors including healthcare and diversified vehicles and parts.

We continued to experience solid export volume growth in 2015. The growth was mainly driven by our European and Americas operations, which experienced solid increases in volume to most regions of the world. European export volume increased in 2015, with particular strength in the Europe-to-U.S., intra-European and Europe-to-Americas trade lanes. Americas export volume increased in 2015, with solid growth in the Americas-to-Europe and Americas-to-U.S. trade lanes. However, Asian export volume declined across all trade lanes due to the economic slowdown throughout the region, particularly China, while U.S. export volume declined largely due to the impact of the stronger U.S. Dollar. Export volume growth was led by our Transborder products, such as Transborder Standard and Transborder Express.

Domestic volume in 2015 decreased slightly from 2014 driven by selective revenue management initiatives focused on disciplined growth. Additionally, the results were impacted by slowing overall economic conditions in Germany and Canada.

Rates and Product Mix

2016 compared to 2015

Total average revenue per piece decreased 2.0% in 2016 impacted by a 110 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge rates. These factors were partially offset by an increase in base rates, lower discounts and a shift in product mix as the growth in premium products continued to exceed the growth in our standard products.

On December 28, 2015, we implemented an average 5.2% net increase in base and accessorial rates for international shipments originating in the United States (Worldwide Express, Worldwide Saver, UPS Worldwide Expedited and UPS International Standard service). On November 2, 2015, the surcharge increased for Over Maximum Packages and the tables for Ground, Air and International fuel surcharges were adjusted. Rate changes for shipments originating outside the U.S. are made throughout the year and vary by geographic market.

Export revenue per piece decreased 2.3% in 2016, impacted by a 50 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge rates. These factors were partially offset by an increase in base rate, lower discounts and favorable package weight and characteristics.

Domestic revenue per piece decreased 3.5% in 2016, impacted by a 380 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge rates. These factors were partially offset by an increase in base rates.

2015 compared to 2014

Total average revenue per piece decreased 8.4% in 2015 impacted by a 700 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge revenues (discussed in detail under Fuel Surcharges). These factors were partially offset by the increases in base rates and revenue management activities.

On December 29, 2014, we implemented an average 4.9% net increase in base and accessorial rates for international shipments originating in the United States (Worldwide Express, Worldwide Saver, UPS Worldwide Expedited and UPS International Standard service). Rate changes for shipments originating outside the U.S. are made throughout the year and vary by geographic market.

Export revenue per piece decreased 8.5% in 2015 impacted by a 480 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge revenues. These factors were partially offset by the increases in base rates and disciplined yield and growth initiatives in Europe.

Domestic revenue per piece decreased 13.1% in 2015 impacted by a 1,490 basis point reduction from currency as well as lower fuel surcharge revenues. These factors were partially offset by the increases to base rate and disciplined yield and growth initiatives in Europe and Canada.

Fuel Surcharges

We maintain fuel surcharges on our international air and ground services. The fuel surcharges for international air products originating inside or outside the United States are indexed to the DOE's Gulf Coast spot price for a gallon of kerosene-type jet fuel, while the fuel surcharges for ground products originating outside the United States are indexed to fuel prices in the international region or country where the shipment takes place.

Total international fuel surcharge revenue decreased by $119 million in 2016, primarily due to price reductions in the fuel surcharge indices; however, this was partially offset by an increase in volume and changes in mix. Total international fuel surcharge revenue decreased by $516 million in 2015, primarily due to lower fuel prices; however, this was partially offset by an increase in volume and pricing changes made to the fuel surcharge indices.

Operating Expenses

2016 compared to 2015

Overall operating expenses increased by $294 million, which included a $381 million increase in mark-to-market pension charges. Excluding the impact of the defined benefit plan mark-to-market charges, adjusted operating expenses for the segment decreased $87 million in 2016 primarily due to currency exchange rate movements and lower fuel expense.

Operating expenses were impacted by changes in the cost of operating our international integrated air and ground network, which decreased $40 million, as well as pick-up and delivery costs, which decreased $143 million. The decreases in network and pick-up and delivery costs were largely due to the impact of currency exchange rate movements and lower fuel expense. Network cost reductions were somewhat offset by an increase in aircraft block hours (up 1.2% in 2016), driven by a 5.1% increase in international export volume and continuing air product service enhancements.

Operating expenses were also impacted in 2016 by a $96 million increase in indirect overhead, package sorting costs and other gains and losses.The total cost per piece for the segment decreased 1.8% in 2016.

2015 compared to 2014

Overall operating expenses decreased $1.299 billion in 2015, which included $156 million decrease due to mark-to-market pension adjustments. Overall adjusted operating expenses for the segment decreased $1.115 billion in 2015. This decrease was mostly due to currency exchange rate movements ($858 million) and lower fuel expense.

The decrease in operating expenses was impacted by the cost of operating our international integrated air and ground network, which decreased $617 million, as well as pick-up and delivery costs, which decreased $332 million. The decreases in network and pick-up and delivery costs were largely due to the impact of currency exchange rate movements, lower fuel expense and a reduction in expense for outside transportation carriers (due to lower fuel surcharges passed to us from the carriers). Additionally, network costs were mitigated by restraining the growth in aircraft block hours (down 1.1% in 2015), as a result of ongoing modifications to our air network; this was achieved with a 3.2% increase in international export volume and continuing air product service enhancements.

The remaining decrease in operating expenses in 2015 was largely due to reductions of indirect operating costs and the cost of package sorting. Indirect operating costs decreased $130 million and the cost of package sorting decreased by $36 million. Both of these decreases were mainly attributable to the impact of currency.

The total cost per piece for the segment decreased 12.9% in 2015 impacted by a 147 basis point reduction in currency.

Operating Profit and Margin

2016 compared to 2015

Operating profit decreased $93 million in 2016 compared with 2015, which included a $381 million increase in operating expenses due to mark-to-market pension adjustments. Operating margin decreased 100 basis points to 16.6%. Adjusted operating profit increased by $288 million in 2016, while the adjusted operating margin increased 200 basis points to 20.0%. Operating profit and margin were positively affected by several factors including base rate increases, modifications to the fuel surcharge indices and currency exchange rate movements (including our currency hedging gains).

2015 compared to 2014

Operating profit increased $460 million in 2015 compared with 2014, which included a $156 million decrease in operating expenses due to mark-to-market pension adjustments. Operating margin increased 470 basis points to 17.6%. Adjusted operating profit increased by $276 million in 2015, while the adjusted operating margin increased 330 basis points to 18.0%. Operating profit and margin were positively affected by several factors including base rate increases, modifications to the fuel surcharge indices and the net impact of fuel (fuel expense declined at a faster rate than fuel surcharge revenue). These items were partially offset by the net impact of currency exchange rate movements (including our currency hedging gains), which reduced operating profit by $22 million when comparing 2015 with 2014.