[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 327-328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31374]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CP2009-18; Order No. 159]


International Mail Contracts

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document announces a recently-filed Postal Service notice 
of an additional Global Direct Contracts agreement. It addresses 
procedural steps associated with this filing.

DATES: Comments are due January 5, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing 
Online system at http://www.prc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
202-789-6820 and [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On December 23, 2008, the Postal Service filed a notice announcing 
that it has entered into an additional Global

[[Page 328]]

Direct Contracts agreement.\1\ Global Direct Contracts provide a rate 
for mail acceptance within the United States and transportation to a 
receiving country, with the addition by the customer of appropriate 
foreign indicia, and payment by the Postal Service of the appropriate 
settlement charges to the receiving country. The Postal Service 
believes the instant agreement is functionally equivalent to previously 
submitted Global Direct Contracts agreements, and supported by the 
Governors' Decision filed in Docket No. MC2008-7.\2\ The Postal Service 
contends that the instant agreement should be included within the 
Global Direct Contracts product.
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    \1\ Notice of United States Postal Service Filing of 
Functionally Equivalent Global Direct Contracts Negotiated Service 
Agreement, December 23, 2008 (Notice).
    \2\ Notice at 1-2. See Docket No. MC2008-7, Request of the 
United States Postal Service to Add Global Plus 2 Negotiated Service 
Agreements to the Competitive Product List, and Notice of Filing 
(Under Seal) the Enabling Governors' Decision and Two Functionally 
Equivalent Agreements, Attachment A, August 8, 2008, for a redacted 
version of Decision of the Governors of the United States Postal 
Service on the Establishment of Prices and Classifications for 
Global Direct, Global Bulk Economy, and Global Plus Contracts 
(Governors' Decision No. 08-10), July 16, 2008. The Postal Service 
also filed under seal an unredacted version of the Governors' 
Decision in that docket.
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    The instant contract. The Postal Service filed the instant 
agreement pursuant to 39 CFR 3015.5. In addition, the Postal Service 
contends that the agreement is in accordance with PRC Order No. 153. It 
submitted the contract and supporting material under seal, and attached 
a redacted copy of the certified statement required by 39 CFR 
3015.5(c)(2) to the Notice.
    The Notice identifies the instant agreement as fitting within the 
Mail Classification Schedule language for Global Direct Contracts, and 
indicates that this agreement is set to expire no later than January 
31, 2010.\3\ The Notice discusses the Postal Service's interest in the 
confidential treatment of the contract and related material. Id. at 2-
3. The Notice also provides the Postal Service's rationale for 
concluding that the instant contract is functionally equivalent to the 
initial contracts filed in Docket Nos. CP2009-10 and CP2009-11. Id. at 
2-6.
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    \3\ The Postal Service also states that this agreement has the 
same duration, basically a one-year period, as the previously 
approved Global Direct Contracts agreements. Notice at 5.
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II. Notice of Filing

    The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2009-18 for consideration 
of matters related to the agreement identified in the Postal Service's 
Notice.
    Interested persons may submit comments on whether the Postal 
Service's agreement is consistent with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 
3633, or 3642. Comments are due no later than January 5, 2009. The 
public portions of these filings can be accessed via the Commission's 
Web site (http://www.prc.gov).
    The Commission appoints Michael J. Ravnitzky to serve as Public 
Representative in the captioned filings.

III. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is Ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2009-18 for 
consideration of the matters raised in this docket.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Michael J. Ravnitzky is appointed to 
serve as officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to represent 
the interests of the general public in these proceedings.
    3. Comments by interested persons in these proceedings are due no 
later than January 5, 2009.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this Order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Steven W. Williams,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-31374 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P