[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 2 (Friday, January 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 414-415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31441]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CP2014-21; Order No. 1929]


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 Hongkong Post for the delivery of inbound 
Air CP. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public 
comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: January 3, 2014.

[[Page 415]]


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. The Postal Service's Filings
    III. Commission Action
    IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On December 26, 2013, the Postal Service filed Notice, pursuant to 
39 CFR 3015.5, that it has entered into a successor negotiated service 
agreement (Agreement) with Hong Kong's foreign postal operator, 
Hongkong Post.\1\
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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, December 26, 2013 (Notice).
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    The Postal Service seeks to have the inbound portion of the 
Agreement, which concerns delivery of inbound Air CP 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 1, 3.

II. Contents of Filing

    The Postal Service's filing consists of the Notice, financial 
workpapers, and four attachments.\2\ 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 materials 
filed under seal.
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    \2\ 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 March 1, 2014. Id. at 3. 
The Agreement is set to expire one year after the effective date, 
subject to termination pursuant to contractual terms. Id.
    The Postal Service states that the Agreement is the successor to 
the 2013-2014 Hongkong Post Agreement approved in Order No. 1580.\3\ It 
also identifies the 2013-2014 Hongkong Post Agreement as the baseline 
agreement for purposes of determining functional equivalence.\4\ 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 2013-2014 Hongkong Post 
Agreement, such as revisions to existing articles and Annex 1, but 
asserts that these differences do not detract from a finding of 
functional equivalency.\5\ Id. at 4-5. In addition, it states that both 
agreements incorporate the same cost attributes and methodology, 
thereby making the relevant cost and market characteristics the same. 
Id. at 5.
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    \3\ Notice at 2; Docket No. CP2013-22, Order Approving an 
Additional Inbound Competitive Multi-Service Agreement With Foreign 
Operators Negotiated Service Agreement (with Hongkong Post), 
December 17, 2012 (Order No. 1580).
    \4\ The Postal Services notes that using the predecessor 
Hongkong Post Agreement as the baseline for comparison of agreements 
for the purpose of determining functional equivalence is consistent 
with the Postal Service's proposal that was submitted in its Motion 
for Partial Reconsideration of Order No. 1864 in Docket No. R2013-9. 
Notice at 2. See also Docket No. R2013-9, Order No. 1864, Order 
Approving an Additional Inbound Market Dominant Multi-Service 
Agreement with Foreign Postal Operators 1 Negotiated Service 
Agreement (with Korea Post), October 30, 2013, at 7-8; Docket No. 
R2013-9, Motion for Partial Reconsideration of Order No. 1864, 
November 6, 2013.
    \5\ See, e.g., in Article 13, revisions to procedures related to 
filings in the regulatory process; in Article 15, the Postal 
Service's contact information; and in Article 22, the Agreement's 
effective date. Notice, Attachment 1 at 4, 5, 6.
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III. Commission Action

    Notice of establishment of docket. The Commission establishes 
Docket No. CP2014-21 for consideration of matters raised by the Notice. 
The Commission appoints Cassie D'Souza 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 January 3, 
2014. The public portions of this filing can be accessed via the 
Commission's Web site (http://www.prc.gov). Information on obtaining 
access to sealed material appears in 39 CFR part 3007.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2014-21 for 
consideration of matters raised by the Postal Service's Notice.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Cassie D'Souza 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 January 3, 2014.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Shoshana M. Grove,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-31441 Filed 1-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P