[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26952-26953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07958]



[[Page 26952]]

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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. R2024-2; Order No. 7036]


Market Dominant Price Adjustment

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is recognizing a recently filed Postal Service 
notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant 
domestic and international products and services, along with proposed 
classification changes. This notice informs the public of the filing, 
invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: May 9, 2024.

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: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 
202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Overview of the Postal Service's Filing
III. Initial Administrative Actions
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On April 9, 2024, the Postal Service filed a notice of price 
adjustments affecting Market Dominant domestic and international 
products and services, along with proposed classification changes to 
the Mail Classification Schedule (MCS).\1\ The intended effective date 
for the planned price adjustments is July 14, 2024. Notice at 1. The 
Notice, which was filed pursuant to 39 CFR part 3030, triggers a 
notice-and-comment proceeding. 39 CFR 3030.125.
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    \1\ United States Postal Service Notice of Market-Dominant Price 
Change, April 9, 2024 (Notice).
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II. Overview of the Postal Service's Filing

    The Postal Service's filing consists of the Notice, which the 
Postal Service represents addresses data and information required under 
39 CFR 3030.122 and 39 CFR 3030.123; two attachments (Attachments A and 
B) to the Notice; three appended sets of workpapers; and six public 
library references and one non-public library reference.
    Attachment A presents the planned price and related product 
description changes to the MCS. Notice, Attachment A. Attachment B 
presents the price cap calculation. Id. Attachment B. The three 
appended sets of workpapers present projections related to the proposed 
continuation of the First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail Growth 
Incentives. Id. at 31.
    The first five public library references provide supporting 
documentation for the five classes of mail, and the sixth public 
library reference shows the banked rate adjustment authority for each 
class of mail over the last five years.\2\ The Postal Service also 
filed a library reference pertaining to the two international mail 
products within First-Class Mail (Outbound Single-Piece First-Class 
Mail International and Inbound Letter Post) under seal and applied for 
non-public treatment of those materials.\3\
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    \2\ USPS Notice of Filing Public Library References, April 9, 
2024, at 1.
    \3\ USPS Notice of Filing Non-Public International Mail 
Workpapers and Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials 
Filed Under Seal, April 9, 2024, at 1, Attachment 1.
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    The Postal Service's planned percentage changes by class are, on 
average, as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Planned price
                  Market dominant class                     adjustment
                                                                (%)
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First-Class Mail........................................           7.755
USPS Marketing Mail.....................................           7.755
Periodicals.............................................           9.754
Package Services........................................           7.755
Special Services........................................           7.755
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Notice at 5. Price adjustments for products within classes vary 
from the average. See, e.g., id. at 7, 10 (Table 4 showing range for 
First-Class Mail products and Table 6 showing range for USPS Marketing 
Mail products).
    The Postal Service identifies the effect of its proposed price and 
classification changes on the MCS in Attachment A. Id. at 40; id. 
Attachment A. The Postal Service also seeks approval for the following 
seven promotions for the indicated periods:
     Informed Delivery Add-On/Upgrade Promotion (January 1-
December 31, 2025);
     Sustainability Add-On/Upgrade Promotion (January 1-
December 31, 2025);
     Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Mailpiece Engagement 
Base/Primary Promotion (February 1-July 31, 2025).
     Integrated Technology Base/Primary Promotion (mailers will 
select a start date for a six-month promotion period within calendar 
year 2025);
     Reply Mail Intelligent Mail barcode Accounting Base/
Primary Promotion (July 1-December 31, 2025);
     First-Class Mail Advertising Base/Primary Promotion 
(September 1-December 31, 2025); and
     Continuous Contact Base/Primary Promotion (July 1-December 
31, 2025).
    Id. at 32-37. Additionally, the Postal Service proposes a new 
Catalog Incentive for certain USPS Marketing Mail and Package Services 
products that is intended to improve reporting and analysis of catalog 
data and proposes continuing other previously approved incentives 
within First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail. Id. at 8, 11, 14-15, 
25, 29-32.

III. Initial Administrative Actions

    Pursuant to 39 CFR 3030.124(a), the Commission establishes Docket 
No. R2024-2 to consider the planned price adjustments for Market 
Dominant postal products and services, as well as the related 
classification changes, identified in the Notice. The Commission 
invites comments from interested persons on whether the Postal 
Service's planned price adjustments are consistent with applicable 
statutory and regulatory requirements. 39 CFR 3030.125. The applicable 
statutory and regulatory requirements the Commission considers in its 
review are the requirements of 39 CFR part 3030, Commission directives 
and orders, and 39 U.S.C. 3626, 3627, and 3629. 39 CFR 3030.126(b). 
Comments are due no later than May 9, 2024. 39 CFR 3030.124(f). The 
Commission will not accept late-filed comments as it is not practicable 
due to the expedited timeline for this proceeding. See 39 CFR 
3030.126(b). The Commission notes that its review in this proceeding is 
limited to ensuring that the proposed prices comply with the 
requirements of 39 CFR part 3030, Commission directives and orders, and 
39 U.S.C. 3626, 3627, and 3629. The Commission has opened a separate 
proceeding that requests comments on the broader aspects of the Market 
Dominant ratemaking system.\4\
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    \4\ Docket No. RM2024-4, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
on the Statutory Review of the System for Regulating Rates and 
Classes for Market Dominant Products, April 5, 2024, at 23-24 (Order 
No. 7032).
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    The public portions of the Postal Service's filing are available 
for review on the Commission's website (http://www.prc.gov). Comments 
and other material filed in this proceeding will be available for 
review on the Commission's website, unless the information contained 
therein is subject to an application for non-public treatment. The 
Commission's rules on

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non-public materials (including access to documents filed under seal) 
appear in 39 CFR part 3011.
    Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints R. Tim Boone to 
represent the interests of the general public (Public Representative) 
in this proceeding.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. R2024-2 to consider the 
planned price adjustments for Market Dominant postal products and 
services, as well as the related classification changes, identified in 
the Postal Service's April 9, 2024 Notice.
    2. Comments on the planned price adjustments and related 
classification changes are due no later than May 9, 2024.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, R. Tim Boone is appointed to serve as 
an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the general 
public (Public Representative) in this proceeding.
    4. The Commission directs the Secretary of the Commission to 
arrange for prompt publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-07958 Filed 4-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P