Notice2026-19285
Competitive Postal Products
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
September 22, 2026
Issuing agencies
Postal Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The Commission is recognizing a recent filing by the Postal Service to remove a section and to make accompanying classification changes to the Mail Classification Schedule. 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 91 Issue 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60163-60164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19285]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. MC2026-387; Order No. 9732]
Competitive Postal Products
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is recognizing a recent filing by the Postal
Service to remove a section and to make accompanying classification
changes to the Mail Classification Schedule. This notice informs the
public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other
administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: October 16, 2026.
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. Contents of Filing
III. Commission Action
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
On September 16, 2026, pursuant to 39 CFR 3040.180-.181, the Postal
Service filed a request to remove Mail Classification Schedule (MCS)
section 2615.2 Competitive International Registered Mail from the
Competitive product list and make accompanying classification changes
in MCS sections 2340.5 and 2600.2.\1\ In addition, pursuant to 39
U.S.C. 3642 and 3622(c)(10) and 39 CFR 3040.130-.132 and 3040.220-.222,
the Postal Service also requests to transfer the Inbound PRIME
Registered Service Agreement 1 and the PRIME-USPS Registered Agreement
from the Competitive product list to the Market Dominant product list,
and add these two agreements to MCS section 1602.3.5 Inbound Market
Dominant Multi-Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 1.
Request at 1-2.
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\1\ Request of the United States Postal Service to Remove
Competitive International Registered Mail from the Competitive
Product List and Make Accompanying Classification Changes, and
Transfer the Inbound PRIME Registered Service Agreement 1 as Well as
the PRIME-USPS Registered Agreement to the Market Dominant Product
List, and Application for Non-Public Treatment, September 16, 2026,
at 1, 3 n.4 (Request).
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II. Contents of Filing
The Postal Service states that at the Universal Postal Union (UPU)
2023 Riyadh Extraordinary Congress, the UPU amended the Universal
Postal Convention (Convention) to require member countries to provide
registered mail service for outbound and inbound airmail and priority
letter-post items containing documents only, effective January 1,
2026.\2\ The Postal Service states that at the UPU 2025 Dubai Congress,
the UPU further amended the Convention to eliminate the bulky letters
(E) format, effective January 1, 2027.\3\ The Postal Service states
that therefore, effective January 1, 2027, international registered
service will no longer be available for Inbound Letter Post Small
Packets bulky letter items that contain documents. Request at 3. The
Postal Service states that instead, international registered service
will be available only for MCS sections 1125 Outbound Single-Piece
First Class Mail International and 1130 Inbound Letter Post Letters and
Flats, which are both on the Market Dominant product list. Id.
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\2\ Id. at 3; Decisions of the 2023 Riyadh Extraordinary
Congress, First Additional Protocol to the Universal Postal
Convention, Article II (Article 18 amended), paragraph 1.1 (page 28
of the PDF), available at <a href="https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/08-actsAndOtherDecisionsPreviousCongresses/CNG-ACTS%e2%94%80Doc-0-">https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/08-actsAndOtherDecisionsPreviousCongresses/CNG-ACTS%e2%94%80Doc-0-</a>(5).pdf.
\3\ Request at 3; Decisions of the 2025 Dubai Congress, Second
Additional Protocol to the Universal Postal Convention, Article VII
(Article 17 amended), paragraph 5 (page 40 of the PDF), available at
<a href="https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/07-actsAndOtherDecisions2025DubaiCongress/2025DubaiCongressDecisionsEn.pdf">https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/07-actsAndOtherDecisions2025DubaiCongress/2025DubaiCongressDecisionsEn.pdf</a>.
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To align the Postal Service's offerings with these amendments to
the Convention, the Postal Service requests to remove MCS section
2615.2 Competitive International Registered Mail from the Competitive
product list and make accompanying classification changes in MCS
sections 2340.5 and 2600.2 that mention Competitive International
Registered Mail, effective January 1, 2027. Id. at 3; 3 n.4. The Postal
Service also requests to transfer the Inbound PRIME Registered Service
Agreement 1 (the subject of Docket No. MC2020-73) and the PRIME-USPS
Registered Agreement (the subject of Docket No. CP2022-65) from MCS
[[Page 60164]]
section 2515.10.5 Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreements with
Foreign Postal Operators 1 on the Competitive product list to MCS
section 1602.3.5 Inbound Market Dominant Multi-Service Agreements with
Foreign Postal Operators 1 on the Market Dominant product list,
effective January 1, 2027. Id. at 4.
With the Request, the Postal Service submits the following
supporting documents: (1) Attachment 1, Governors' Decision No. 26-5;
(2) Attachment 2, a copy of the MCS with the proposed changes in
legislative format; (3) Attachment 3, a statement of supporting
justification required by 39 CFR 3040.132; (4) Attachment 4, a redacted
copy of the Inbound PRIME Registered Service Agreement 1; (5)
Attachment 5, a redacted copy of the PRIME-USPS Registered Agreement;
(6) Attachment 6, a redacted copy of the accession of an additional
foreign postal operator to the PRIME-USPS Registered Agreement; and (7)
Attachment 7, an application for non-public treatment of materials
filed under seal. Id. at 4-5; Id. Attachments 1-7. In addition, the
Postal Service submits a redacted copy of Annex 3 to the Inbound PRIME
Registered Service Agreement 1. Id. at 6. Unredacted versions of
Attachments 4 through 6, as well as Annex 3 to the Inbound PRIME
Registered Service Agreement 1, are filed under seal. Id. The Postal
Service also incorporates by reference the cost coverage information
for the Inbound PRIME Registered Service Agreement 1 and the PRIME-USPS
Registered Agreement filed in Docket No. ACR2025, Library Reference
PRC-LR-ACR2025-NP2. Id.
The Postal Service provides a discussion of its compliance with 39
CFR 3040.180-.181 for the proposed removal of MCS section 2615.2
Competitive International Registered Mail from the Competitive product
list and accompanying classification changes in MCS sections 2340.5 and
2600.2. Id. at 8-12. The Postal Service also provides a discussion of
its compliance with 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3622(c)(10) and 39 CFR
3040.130-.132 and 3040.220-.222 for the proposed transfer of the
Inbound PRIME Registered Service Agreement 1 and the PRIME-USPS
Registered Agreement from the Competitive product list to the Market
Dominant product list. Id. at 12-24. The Postal Service further
provides a discussion of the functional equivalence of the Inbound
PRIME Registered Service Agreement 1 and the PRIME-USPS Registered
Agreement to the baseline agreement for the umbrella product, MCS
section 1602.3.5 Inbound Market Dominant Multi-Service Agreements with
Foreign Postal Operators 1. Id. at 24-27.
III. Commission Action
The Commission establishes Docket No. MC2026-387 for consideration
of matters raised by the Request. The Commission invites comments on
whether the Postal Service's filing is consistent with 39 U.S.C. 3642
and 3622(c)(10) and 39 CFR 3040.130-.132, 3040.180-.181, and
3040.220-.222. Comments are due October 16, 2026. The public portions
of the filings can be accessed via the Commission's website (<a href="https://www.prc.gov">https://www.prc.gov</a>).
The Commission appoints Samuel Robinson to represent the interests
of the general public (Public Representative) in this docket, pursuant
to 39 CFR 3010.101(q)(3). The Public Representative does not represent
any individual person, entity, or particular point of view, and, when
Commission attorneys are appointed, no attorney-client relationship is
established.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. MC2026-387 for
consideration of matters raised by the Postal Service's Request.
2. Pursuant to 39 CFR 3010.101(q)(3), Samuel Robinson is appointed
to serve as an officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to
represent the interests of the general public in this proceeding.
3. Comments are due October 16, 2026.
4. This Order, or an abstract thereof, shall be published in the
Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Parvaneh Higareda,
Senior Paralegal Specialist.
[FR Doc. 2026-19285 Filed 9-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 22, 2026.
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