Notice2024-07958
Market Dominant Price Adjustment
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
Postal Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The Commission is recognizing a recently filed Postal Service notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant domestic and international products and services, along with proposed classification changes. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26952-26953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07958]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. R2024-2; Order No. 7036]
Market Dominant Price Adjustment
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is recognizing a recently filed Postal Service
notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant
domestic and international products and services, along with proposed
classification changes. This notice informs the public of the filing,
invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: May 9, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at <a href="http://www.prc.gov">http://www.prc.gov</a>. 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
II. Overview of the Postal Service's Filing
III. Initial Administrative Actions
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
On April 9, 2024, the Postal Service filed a notice of price
adjustments affecting Market Dominant domestic and international
products and services, along with proposed classification changes to
the Mail Classification Schedule (MCS).\1\ The intended effective date
for the planned price adjustments is July 14, 2024. Notice at 1. The
Notice, which was filed pursuant to 39 CFR part 3030, triggers a
notice-and-comment proceeding. 39 CFR 3030.125.
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\1\ United States Postal Service Notice of Market-Dominant Price
Change, April 9, 2024 (Notice).
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II. Overview of the Postal Service's Filing
The Postal Service's filing consists of the Notice, which the
Postal Service represents addresses data and information required under
39 CFR 3030.122 and 39 CFR 3030.123; two attachments (Attachments A and
B) to the Notice; three appended sets of workpapers; and six public
library references and one non-public library reference.
Attachment A presents the planned price and related product
description changes to the MCS. Notice, Attachment A. Attachment B
presents the price cap calculation. Id. Attachment B. The three
appended sets of workpapers present projections related to the proposed
continuation of the First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail Growth
Incentives. Id. at 31.
The first five public library references provide supporting
documentation for the five classes of mail, and the sixth public
library reference shows the banked rate adjustment authority for each
class of mail over the last five years.\2\ The Postal Service also
filed a library reference pertaining to the two international mail
products within First-Class Mail (Outbound Single-Piece First-Class
Mail International and Inbound Letter Post) under seal and applied for
non-public treatment of those materials.\3\
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\2\ USPS Notice of Filing Public Library References, April 9,
2024, at 1.
\3\ USPS Notice of Filing Non-Public International Mail
Workpapers and Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials
Filed Under Seal, April 9, 2024, at 1, Attachment 1.
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The Postal Service's planned percentage changes by class are, on
average, as follows:
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Planned price
Market dominant class adjustment
(%)
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First-Class Mail........................................ 7.755
USPS Marketing Mail..................................... 7.755
Periodicals............................................. 9.754
Package Services........................................ 7.755
Special Services........................................ 7.755
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Notice at 5. Price adjustments for products within classes vary
from the average. See, e.g., id. at 7, 10 (Table 4 showing range for
First-Class Mail products and Table 6 showing range for USPS Marketing
Mail products).
The Postal Service identifies the effect of its proposed price and
classification changes on the MCS in Attachment A. Id. at 40; id.
Attachment A. The Postal Service also seeks approval for the following
seven promotions for the indicated periods:
<bullet> Informed Delivery Add-On/Upgrade Promotion (January 1-
December 31, 2025);
<bullet> Sustainability Add-On/Upgrade Promotion (January 1-
December 31, 2025);
<bullet> Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Mailpiece Engagement
Base/Primary Promotion (February 1-July 31, 2025).
<bullet> Integrated Technology Base/Primary Promotion (mailers will
select a start date for a six-month promotion period within calendar
year 2025);
<bullet> Reply Mail Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting Base/
Primary Promotion (July 1-December 31, 2025);
<bullet> First-Class Mail Advertising Base/Primary Promotion
(September 1-December 31, 2025); and
<bullet> Continuous Contact Base/Primary Promotion (July 1-December
31, 2025).
Id. at 32-37. Additionally, the Postal Service proposes a new
Catalog Incentive for certain USPS Marketing Mail and Package Services
products that is intended to improve reporting and analysis of catalog
data and proposes continuing other previously approved incentives
within First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail. Id. at 8, 11, 14-15,
25, 29-32.
III. Initial Administrative Actions
Pursuant to 39 CFR 3030.124(a), the Commission establishes Docket
No. R2024-2 to consider the planned price adjustments for Market
Dominant postal products and services, as well as the related
classification changes, identified in the Notice. The Commission
invites comments from interested persons on whether the Postal
Service's planned price adjustments are consistent with applicable
statutory and regulatory requirements. 39 CFR 3030.125. The applicable
statutory and regulatory requirements the Commission considers in its
review are the requirements of 39 CFR part 3030, Commission directives
and orders, and 39 U.S.C. 3626, 3627, and 3629. 39 CFR 3030.126(b).
Comments are due no later than May 9, 2024. 39 CFR 3030.124(f). The
Commission will not accept late-filed comments as it is not practicable
due to the expedited timeline for this proceeding. See 39 CFR
3030.126(b). The Commission notes that its review in this proceeding is
limited to ensuring that the proposed prices comply with the
requirements of 39 CFR part 3030, Commission directives and orders, and
39 U.S.C. 3626, 3627, and 3629. The Commission has opened a separate
proceeding that requests comments on the broader aspects of the Market
Dominant ratemaking system.\4\
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\4\ Docket No. RM2024-4, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
on the Statutory Review of the System for Regulating Rates and
Classes for Market Dominant Products, April 5, 2024, at 23-24 (Order
No. 7032).
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The public portions of the Postal Service's filing are available
for review on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.prc.gov">http://www.prc.gov</a>). Comments
and other material filed in this proceeding will be available for
review on the Commission's website, unless the information contained
therein is subject to an application for non-public treatment. The
Commission's rules on
[[Page 26953]]
non-public materials (including access to documents filed under seal)
appear in 39 CFR part 3011.
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints R. Tim Boone to
represent the interests of the general public (Public Representative)
in this proceeding.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. R2024-2 to consider the
planned price adjustments for Market Dominant postal products and
services, as well as the related classification changes, identified in
the Postal Service's April 9, 2024 Notice.
2. Comments on the planned price adjustments and related
classification changes are due no later than May 9, 2024.
3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, R. Tim Boone is appointed to serve as
an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the general
public (Public Representative) in this proceeding.
4. The Commission directs the Secretary of the Commission to
arrange for prompt publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-07958 Filed 4-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 16, 2024.
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