[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 84 (Monday, May 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20510-20511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10095]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. MC2009-24 and CP2009-28 Order No. 207]


New Competitive Postal Product

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service 
request to add the Royal Mail Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement to the 
Competitive Product List. The Postal Service has also filed a related 
contract. This notice addresses procedural steps associated with these 
filings.

DATES: Comments are due May 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. Introduction

    On April 21, 2009, the Postal Service filed a formal request 
pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq. to add the Royal 
Mail Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement to the Competitive Product 
List.\1\ The Postal Service asserts that the Governors have established 
a price and classification ``not of general applicability'' within the 
meaning of 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(3). Id. at 1. The Request has been 
assigned Docket No. MC2009-24.
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    \1\ Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Royal 
Mail Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement to the Competitive Products 
List and Notice of Filing (Under Seal) Contract and Enabling 
Governors' Decision, April 21, 2009 (Request).
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    The Postal Service contemporaneously filed an agreement related to 
the proposed new product pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(3) and 39 CFR 
3015.5. The agreement has been assigned Docket No. CP2009-28.
    Request. The Request incorporates (1) A statement of supporting 
justification

[[Page 20511]]

as required by 39 CFR 3020.32; (2) Governors' Decision No. 09-5 
authorizing the new product which includes a certification of the vote, 
requested changes in the Mail Classification Schedule (MCS) product 
list, an analysis of the agreement and a certification of compliance 
with 39 U.S.C. 3633(a); (3) a redacted version of the agreement; and 
(4) an additional certification of compliance with 39 U.S.C. 
3633(a).\2\ Substantively, the Request seeks to add the Royal Mail 
Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement to the Competitive Product List. Id. 
at 1-2.
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    \2\ Attachment 1 to the Request consists of the Statement of 
Supporting Justification. Attachment 2 is the Decision of the 
Governors of the United States Postal Service on Establishment of 
Prices and Classifications for Royal Mail Group Inbound Air Parcel 
Post Agreement (Governors' Decision No. 09-5). The Governors' 
Decision includes Attachment A, requested changes in the MCS product 
list; Attachment B, a redacted version of Management Analysis of 
Royal Mail Group Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement; and Attachment 
C, a redacted version of Certification of Prices for the Royal Mail 
Group Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement. Attachment 3 is a redacted 
version of the contract. Attachment 4 is an additional redacted 
certification of compliance with 39 U.S.C. 3633 (a) for the 
agreement. The Postal Service states that the additional 
certification ``was effected to account for changes in the estimated 
amount of inward land rate payments in 2010 due to revisions to the 
payment structure under the [Universal Postal Union's] Parcel Post 
Regulations that will become effective on January 1, 2010.'' Id. at 
2, n.3.
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    In the statement of supporting justification, Giselle Valera, 
Executive Director, Global Finance and Business Analysis, asserts that 
the service to be provided under the agreement will cover its 
attributable costs, make a positive contribution to institutional 
costs, and increase contribution toward the requisite 5.5 percent of 
the Postal Service's total institutional costs. Id., Attachment 1. 
Thus, Ms. Valera contends there will be no issue of subsidization of 
competitive products by market dominant products as a result of this 
agreement. Id.
    Related contract. A redacted version of the bilateral Royal Mail 
Inbound Air Parcel Post agreement is included with the Request. The 
Postal Service represents that the agreement is consistent with 39 
U.S.C. 3633(a) and 39 CFR 3015.7(c). See id., Attachment 2 and 
Attachment 3. The agreement implements negotiated rates for Inbound Air 
Parcel Post from the United Kingdom. It becomes effective after the 
Postal Service notifies Royal Mail that it has received all required 
reviews and the Commission has provided all necessary regulatory 
approvals. The Postal Service states that the agreement is to remain in 
effect until terminated by the parties.
    Currently, the Postal Service and Royal Mail apply the inward land 
rates for Air Parcel Post established by the Universal Postal Union's 
Postal Operations Council.\3\ In the Postal Service's original proposed 
MCS language for Inbound Air Parcel Post, bilateral agreements were 
included as a price category within the Inbound Air Parcel Post 
product.\4\ The Postal Service states it is proposing that the Royal 
Mail agreement be classified as a separate product as a practical 
matter and in conformity with the intent of the Commission's ruling in 
Order No. 43 \5\ which contemplates that each agreement or group of 
functionally equivalent agreements may be considered as one product. 
Id. at 4.
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    \3\ See Universal Postal Union International Bureau Circular No. 
241, ``Parcel Post-Inward Land Rates Applicable from 1 January 
2009,'' September 29, 2008.
    \4\ See United States Postal Service Submission of Additional 
Mail Classification Schedule Information in Response to Order No. 
43, November 20, 2007.
    \5\ See PRC Order No. 43, Order Establishing Ratemaking 
Regulations for Market Dominant and Competitive Products, Docket No. 
MC 2007-1, October 29, 2007, at paras. 2177, 2198.
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    The Postal Service filed much of the supporting materials, 
including the analysis of the agreement, Governors' Decision, and the 
specific Royal Mail Inbound Air Parcel Post agreement in redacted 
versions and under seal. In its Request, the Postal Service maintains 
that the agreement and related financial information, including the 
customer's name and the accompanying analyses that provide prices, 
terms, conditions, and financial projections should remain under seal. 
Id. at 2-3.

II. Notice of Filings

    The Commission establishes Docket Nos. MC2009-24 and CP2009-28 for 
consideration of the Request pertaining to the proposed Royal Mail 
Inbound Air Parcel Post product and the related bilateral contractual 
agreement as a competitive product, respectively. In keeping with 
practice, these dockets are addressed on a consolidated basis for 
purposes of this order; however, future filings should be made in the 
specific docket in which issues being addressed pertain.
    Interested persons may submit comments on whether the Postal 
Service's filings in the captioned dockets are consistent with the 
policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 3633, or 3642 and 39 CFR part 3015 and 39 
CFR 3020 subpart B. Comments are due no later than May 5, 2009. The 
public portions of these filings can be accessed via the Commission's 
Web site (http://www.prc.gov).
    The Commission appoints Paul L. Harrington to serve as Public 
Representative in these dockets.
    It is Ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket Nos. MC2009-24 and CP2009-28 
for consideration of the matters raised in each docket.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Paul L. Harrington 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 May 5, 2009.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Judith M. Grady,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-10095 Filed 5-1-09; 8:45 am]
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