[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2098-2099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-539]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. MC2012-6, CP2012-12 and CP2012-13; Order No. 1112]


New 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 Global Plus 1C agreements to the competitive product 
list. This notice addresses procedural steps associated with the 
filing.

DATES: Comments are due: January 17, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically by accessing the ``Filing 
Online'' link in the banner at the top of the Commission's Web site 
(http://www.prc.gov) or by directly accessing the Commission's Filing 
Online system at https://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/filing-online/login.aspx. Commenters who cannot submit their views electronically 
should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section as the source for case-related information for advice 
on alternatives to electronic filing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
at (202) 789-6820 (case-related information) or [email protected] 
(electronic filing assistance).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Introduction. The Postal Service has filed a request to add Global 
Plus 1C Contracts, consisting of two Global Plus 1C agreements, to the 
competitive product list.\1\ The instant agreements are set to begin on 
January 22, 2012, at the expiration of customers' current customized 
(Global Plus 1B) agreements.\2\ Id. at 4-5.
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    \1\ Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Global 
Plus 1C to the Competitive Products List and Notice of Filing Two 
Functionally Equivalent Global Plus 1C Contracts Negotiated Service 
Agreements and Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials 
Filed Under Seal, December 30, 2011 (Notice). The Notice was filed 
pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq., and Order No. 
112; the agreements were filed pursuant to Commission rule 3015.5.
    \2\ For an explanation of the duration of the instant contracts, 
see id. at 5.
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    Product history. Prices and classifications for Global Plus 
Contracts 1 were added to the competitive product list in 2008; several 
groupings within this product, including Global Plus 1A and Global Plus 
1B, were later added. Id. at 1-2. The Postal Service describes the 
instant contracts as the immediate successors to, and counterparts of, 
the instruments the Commission found eligible for inclusion in the 
Global Plus 1B product in previous dockets.\3\ Id. at 4. It also says 
the contracts are on behalf of the same customers. Id.
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    \3\ See Docket Nos. CP2011-39 and CP2011-40.
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    Functional equivalence. The Postal Service addresses the functional 
equivalence of the two Global Plus 1C contracts, including a review of 
their similarities and differences. Id. at 5-6. It attributes any 
differences to the result of negotiations, and says they do not affect 
the Global Plus rate design or

[[Page 2099]]

market characteristics. Id. at 6. It also notes that Global Plus 1C is 
distinct from Global Plus 1B due to the addition of Global Express 
Guaranteed and Commercial ePacket. Id. at 7. This distinction is 
reflected in a minor classification change and in the financial models. 
Id.
    Other supporting material. The Postal Service has filed the two 
Global Plus 1C contracts and certain other material under seal. 
Attachment 1 to the Notice is an application for non-public treatment 
of that material. Attachments 2 through 4 include redacted versions of 
two pertinent Governors' Decisions; revised Mail Classification 
Schedule language; certifications and a related statement required 
under Commission rules; and redacted versions of the contracts.
    Postal Service representations. The Postal Service asserts that its 
filing establishes that the new Global Plus 1C contracts are in 
compliance with the requirements of 39 U.S.C. 3633; fit within the 
proposed MCS language for Global Plus Contracts based on the 
controlling Governors' Decisions; and are functionally equivalent to 
each other.\4\ It therefore requests that Global Plus 1C be added to 
the competitive product list; that the contracts included in this 
filing be included within the Global Plus 1C product; and that these 
contracts be considered the baseline agreements for future functionally 
equivalency analyses for the Global Plus 1C product. Id. at 9.
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    \4\ Governors' Decision No. 08-8 authorizes Global Plus 1 
contracts. Governors' Decision No. 11-6 authorizes Postal Service 
management to prepare any necessary product description, including 
Mail Classification Schedule text, and to present such description 
to the Commission.
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    Initial Commission action. The Commission establishes three related 
dockets, designated as Docket Nos. MC2012-6, CP2012-12, and CP2012-13, 
to consider matters raised in the Notice. The Commission strongly 
encourages those interested in the Postal Service's proposal to review 
the filing in its entirety. Public portions of the Postal Service's 
filing can be accessed via the Commission's Web site, www.prc.gov. 
Commission rule 3007.40 (39 CFR 3007.40) addresses procedures for 
obtaining access to non-public information. Interested persons may 
submit comments on whether addition of the new product is consistent 
with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632 or 3633 and 39 CFR part 3015. 
Comments are due no later than January 17, 2012.
    The Commission appoints James F. Callow to serve as Public 
Representative in the captioned filings.
    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket Nos. MC2012-6, CP2012-12, and 
CP2012-13 to consider matters raised by the Postal Service's Notice.
    2. Comments by interested persons in these proceedings are due no 
later than January 17, 2012.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, James F. Callow is appointed to serve 
as the officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to represent 
the interests of the general public in these proceedings.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Shoshana M. Grove,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-539 Filed 1-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P