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AGENCY:
Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
The Commission is recognizing a recently filed Postal Service document with the Commission concerning changes in rates of general applicability for Competitive products. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
DATES:
Comments are due: September 25, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing alternatives.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 202-789-6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction and Overview
II. Initial Administrative Actions
III. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction and Overview
On September 5, 2024, the Postal Service filed notice with the Commission concerning time-limited changes in rates of general applicability for Competitive products. The Postal Service represents that, as required by 39 CFR 3035.102(b), the Notice includes an explanation and justification for the changes, the effective date, a schedule of the changed rates, and a schedule showing current prices that shall be restored. See Notice at 1. The changes are scheduled to take effect on October 6, 2024, and will roll back to current levels on January 19, 2025. Id.
USPS Notice of Time-Limited Changes in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products, September 5, 2024 (Notice). Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(2), the Postal Service is obligated to publish the Governors' Decision and record of proceedings in the Federal Register at least 30 days before the effective date of the new rates.
Attached to the Notice is Governors' Decision No. 24-4, which states the new prices are in accordance with 39 U.S.C. 3632 and 3633 and 39 CFR 3035.102. The Governors' Decision provides an analysis of the Competitive products' price changes intended to demonstrate that the changes comply with 39 U.S.C. 3633 and 39 CFR part 3035. Governors' Decision No. 24-4 at 1. The attachment to the Governors' Decision sets forth the price changes and includes draft Mail Classification Schedule (MCS) language for Competitive products of general applicability, as well as the MCS sections with the prices that will be restored on January 19, 2025. No price changes are being made to Parcel Select, Special Services, or International Competitive products. Id. at 2.
Notice, Decision of the Governors of the United States Postal Service on Changes in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products (Governors' Decision No. 24-4), at 1 (Governors' Decision No. 24-4).
The Notice also includes an application for non-public treatment of the attributable cost, contribution, and cost coverage data in the unredacted version of the annex to the Governors' Decision, as well as the supporting materials for the data.
Notice at 1-2; Notice, Application of the United States Postal Service for Non-Public Treatment of Materials, at 1.
Planned price adjustments. The Governors' Decision includes an overview of the Postal Service's planned price changes, which is summarized in the Table I-1 below.
Table I-1—Proposed Price Changes
| Product name | Average price increase (percent) |
|---|---|
| Domestic Competitive Products | |
| Priority Mail Express | 4.9 |
| Retail | 4.9 |
| Commercial (Base and Plus) | 4.9 |
| Priority Mail | 5.5 |
| Retail | 5.3 |
| Commercial (Base and Plus) | 5.6 |
| USPS Ground Advantage | 6.4 |
| Retail | 6.2 |
| Commercial | 6.5 |
| Limited Overland Routes | 10.3 |
| Source: See Governors' Decision No. 24-4 at 2. |