[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 12 (Thursday, January 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3922-3923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00862]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CP2013-39; Order No. 1620]


International Mail Contracts

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service 
request concerning an additional Global Plus 1C contract. This document 
invites public comments on the request and addresses several related 
procedural steps.

DATES: Comments are due: January 23, 2013.

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

    Notice of filing. On January 10, 2013, the Postal Service filed a 
notice announcing that it is entering into an additional Global Plus 1C 
contract (Agreement).\1\ The Postal Service seeks

[[Page 3923]]

to have the Agreement included within the Global Plus 1C product on the 
grounds of functional equivalence to previously approved baseline 
agreements. Id. at 1-2.
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    \1\ Notice of the United States Postal Service of Filing a 
Functionally Equivalent Global Plus 1C Negotiated Service Agreement 
and Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials Filed Under 
Seal, January 10, 2013 (Notice). The Notice was filed in accordance 
with 39 CFR 3015.5. Id. at 1. See also Errata to Notice of the 
United States Postal Service of Filing a Functionally Equivalent 
Global Plus 1C Negotiated Service Agreement and Application for Non-
Public Treatment of Materials Filed Under Seal, January 11, 2013.
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    Product history. The Commission added Global Plus 1C to the 
competitive product list by operation of Order No. 1151.\2\ It 
concurrently designated the agreements filed in companion Docket Nos. 
CP2012-12 and CP2012-13 as the baseline agreements for purposes of 
establishing the functional equivalency of other agreements proposed 
for inclusion with the Global Plus 1C product. Id. at 2. The Agreement 
that is the subject of this filing is the immediate successor to the 
agreement approved in Docket No. CP2012-12. Id. at 4.
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    \2\ Docket Nos. MC2012-6, CP2012-12, and CP2012-13, Order Adding 
Global Plus 1C to the Competitive Product List and Approving Related 
Global Plus 1C Agreements, January 19, 2012 (Order No. 1151).
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    Customers for Global Plus 1C contracts are Postal Qualified 
Wholesalers (PQWs) and other large businesses that offer mailing 
services to end users for shipping articles via International Priority 
Airmail, International Surface Air Lift, Global Express Guaranteed, 
Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, and/or 
Commercial ePacket service. Id. at 5.

II. Contents of Filing

    The filing includes the Notice, along with the following 
attachments:
     Attachment 1--a redacted copy of the Agreement;
     Attachment 2--a redacted copy of the certification 
required under 39 CFR 3015.5(c)(2);
     Attachment 3--a redacted copy of Governors' Decision No. 
11-6; and
     Attachment 4--an application for non-public treatment of 
material filed under seal.
    The material filed under seal consists of unredacted copies of the 
Agreement and supporting financial documents. Id. at 2. The Postal 
Service filed redacted versions of the sealed financial documents in 
public Excel spreadsheets. Id. at 3.
    Functional equivalency. The Postal Service asserts that the instant 
Agreement and the baseline agreements are functionally equivalent 
because they share similar cost and market characteristics. Id. at 4. 
It notes that the pricing formula and classification established in 
Governors' Decision No. 08-8 ensure that each Global Plus 1C contract 
meets the criteria of 39 U.S.C. 3633 and related regulations. Id. at 4-
5. The Postal Service also indicates that the pricing formula relied on 
for Global Plus 1C contracts is included in Governors' Decision No. 11-
6. Id. at 5. The Postal Service further asserts that the functional 
terms of the two agreements are the same and the benefits are 
comparable. Id.
    The Postal Service states that prices may differ, depending on when 
an agreement is signed, due to updated costing information. Id. It also 
identifies other differences in contractual terms, but asserts that the 
differences do not affect either the fundamental service being offered 
or the fundamental structure of the Agreement.\3\ Id. at 6.
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    \3\ The list includes, among other things, the non-inclusion of 
a particular service, the addition and revision of articles, and 
related renumbering of articles. See id. at 6-7.
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    Effective date; term. The scheduled effective date of the Agreement 
is January 27, 2013. Id. at 3. The Agreement is expected to be in 
effect for approximately 1 year. Termination is either the date prior 
to the date in January 2014 that Canada Post Corporation makes changes 
to published rates affecting Qualifying Mail \4\ or, in the event of 
inaction, January 31, 2014. Id at 4.
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    \4\ Article 3 of the Agreement outlines the requirements for 
mail to be considered as Qualifying Mail. Id. at 2-3.
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III. Commission Action

    The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-39 for consideration 
of matters raised in the Notice. Interested persons may submit comments 
on whether the Agreement is consistent with the requirements of 39 CFR 
3015.5 and the policies of sections 3632, 3633, and 3642. Comments are 
due no later than January 23, 2013. The public portions of the Postal 
Service's filing can be accessed via the Commission's Web site at 
http://www.prc.gov. Information on how to obtain access to nonpublic 
material appears at 39 CFR part 3007.
    The Commission appoints Curtis E. Kidd to represent the interests 
of the general public (Public Representative) in this case.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-39 for 
consideration of matters raised in the Postal Service's Notice.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission designates Curtis E. 
Kidd 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 no later than January 23, 2013.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-00862 Filed 1-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P