[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76863-76864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30151]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CP2014-12; Order No. 1905]


New Postal Product

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing 
concerning a contract with Australia Post for the delivery of inbound 
Air CP and Express Mail Services (EMS). This notice informs the public 
of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative 
steps.

DATES: Comments are due: December 20, 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

    On December 11, 2013, the Postal Service filed Notice, pursuant to 
39 CFR 3015.5, that it has entered into a successor negotiated service 
agreement (Agreement) with Australia's foreign postal operator, 
Australia Postal Corporation (Australia Post).\1\ The Postal Service 
seeks to have the inbound portion of the Agreement, which concerns 
delivery of inbound Air CP \2\ and Express Mail Services (EMS) in the 
United States, included within the Inbound Competitive Multi-Service 
Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 1 (MC2010-34) product on the 
competitive product list. Notice at 3.
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    \1\ Notice of United States Postal Service of Filing 
Functionally Equivalent Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreement 
with a Foreign Postal Operator (Australian Postal Corporation), 
December 11, 2013 (Notice).
    \2\ ``CP'' is an abbreviation used to identify or reference 
international parcel post (from the French phrase colis postaux, 
``postal package'').
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II. Contents of Filing

    The Postal Service's filing consists of the Notice, financial 
workpapers, and four attachments.\3\ Attachment 1 is a copy of the 
Agreement. Attachment 2 is the certified statement required by 39 CFR 
3015.5(c)(2). Attachment 3 is a copy of Governors' Decision No. 10-3. 
Attachment 4 is an application for non-public treatment of material.
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    \3\ The financial workpapers and Attachments 1 and 3 were filed 
in redacted and unredacted versions.
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    The Agreement's intended effective date is January 1, 2014. Notice 
at 3. The Agreement is set to expire two years after the effective 
date, subject to termination pursuant to contractual terms. Id. at 3-4.
    The Postal Service states that the Agreement is the successor to 
the 2012 Australia Post Agreement approved in Order No. 956.\4\ It also 
identifies the 2012 Australia Post Agreement as the baseline agreement 
for purposes of determining functional equivalence. Notice at 2. It 
asserts that the Agreement fits within applicable Mail Classification 
Schedule language included in Governors' Decision No. 10-3. See id. at 
3, Attachment 3. The Postal Service identifies differences between the 
Agreement and the 2012 Australia Post Agreement, such as revisions to 
existing articles, but asserts that these differences do not detract 
from a finding of functional equivalency.\5\ Id. at 5-6. In addition, 
it states that both agreements incorporate the same cost attributes and 
methodology, thereby making the relevant cost and market 
characteristics similar, if not the same. Id. at 6.
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    \4\ Notice at 2; Docket No. CP2012-1, Order Concerning an 
Additional Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreements With Foreign 
Postal Operators 1 Negotiated Service Agreement, November 9, 2011 
(Order No. 956).
    \5\ See, e.g., in Article 1, the addition of two new purposes 
for the Agreement, and in Article 22, the time frame in which the 
parties will meet to discuss renewal prior to expiration. Notice, 
Attachment 1 at 1-2, 22.
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III. Commission Action

    Notice of establishment of docket. The Commission establishes 
Docket No. CP2014-12 for consideration of matters raised by the Notice. 
The Commission appoints John P. Klingenberg to serve as Public 
Representative in this docket.
    Interested persons may submit comments on whether the Postal 
Service's filing in the above-captioned docket is consistent with the 
policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 3633, and 3642 and the requirements of 39 
CFR parts 3015 and 3020. Comments are due no later than December 20, 
2013. The public portions of this filing can be accessed via the 
Commission's Web site (http://www.prc.gov). Information on obtaining

[[Page 76864]]

access to sealed material appears in 39 CFR part 3007.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2014-12 for 
consideration of matters raised by the Postal Service's Notice.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, John P. Klingenberg 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 no later than December 20, 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. 2013-30151 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P