Source: http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2009-11-13-E9-27268
Timestamp: 2013-05-25 16:58:09
Document Index: 688694582

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 7114', 'art 3944', 'art 6726', 'art 140', 'art 5250', 'art 1739', 'art 30206', 'art 514', 'art 9740', 'art 180', 'art 3020', 'art 3015', 'art 3015']

Competitive Products Price and Classification Changes
14 CFR Part 7114 CFR Part 3944 CFR Part 6726 CFR Part 140 CFR Part 5250 CFR Part 1739 CFR Part 30206 CFR Part 514 CFR Part 9740 CFR Part 180	Federal Register: November 13, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 218)
DOCID: fr13no09-96
FR Doc E9-27268
Docket ID: [Docket No. CP2010-8; Order No. 333]
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice and order.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Competitive Products Price and Classification Changes DATES: 1. Supplemental information from the Postal Service is due: November 13, 2009. 2. Comments are due: November 23, 2009.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: The Commission is conducting a formal review of the Postal Service's planned rate adjustments for essentially all products in the competitive products category. A public comment period extends through November 23, 2009. This will be followed by a Commission determination on the consistency of the adjustments with certain considerations. The new rates and classification changes are expected to take effect January 4, 2010.
SUMMARY: Competitive Products Price and Classification Changes
On November 4, 2009, the Postal Service filed notice with the Commission concerning changes in rates of general applicability for competitive products.\1\ The Filing also includes related mail classification changes. The Postal Service represents that, as required by the Commission's rules, 39 CFR 3015.2(b), the Filing includes an explanation and justification for the changes, the effective date, and a schedule of the changed rates. The price changes are scheduled to become effective January 4, 2010.
\1\ See Notice of the United States Postal Service of Changes in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products Established in Governors' Decision No. 0913, November 4, 2009 (Filing). The Filing is available on the Commission's Web site, http://
www.prc.gov, under Daily Listings for November 4, 2009. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(2), the Postal Service is obligated to publish the Governors' Decision and record of proceedings in the Federal Register at least 30 days before the effective date of the new rates or classes. Attached to the Filing is the Governors' Decision evaluating the new prices and classification changes in accordance with 39 U.S.C. 363233 and 39 CFR 3015.2. The Governors' Decision provides an analysis of the competitive products' price and classification changes intended to demonstrate that the changes comply with section 3633(a) of title 39 and the Commission's rules. See 39 CFR 3015.7(c). The Attachment to the Governors' Decision sets forth the price changes and related product description changes to be incorporated into the draft Mail Classification Schedule. Selected highlights of the price and classification changes follow. Express Mail. Overall, Express Mail prices increase by 4.5 percent. Price increases for retail and Commercial Base pricing increase, on average, by 4.5 percent. The Commercial Plus prices increase by 4.4 percent. Separate rate tables are created for Commercial Base and Commercial Plus price categories. Priority Mail. Priority Mail prices increase by 3.3 percent overall, with average retail prices increasing by about 3.9 percent. The average increase for Commercial Base prices is 2.9 percent. Commercial Plus prices increase by 0.9 percent. Changes to the price structure include the following: (1) Renaming the regularsize flat rate box from ``Regular'' to ``Medium;'' (2) adding a new halfpound price starting at $4.22, and a flat rate padded envelope priced at $4.95 to the Commercial Plus category; (3) adding a new Commercial Plus Cubic category for shipments that weigh less than 20 pounds and are no larger than onehalf cubic feet in volume for customers who ship more than 250,000 Priority Mail pieces annually.
Parcel Select. Parcel Select service increases, on average, by 4.7 percent. For destination entry parcels, the average price increases 3.9 percent for dropshipping at destination delivery units, 6.9 percent for parcels entered at a destination plant, and 6.9 percent for parcels entered at a destination Bulk Mail Center (BMC). There are no price changes to nondestinationentered parcels. The Loyalty and Growth Incentive rebates are being eliminated as of the end of May 2010. Additionally, the 50piece volume minimum for the Barcoded Nonpresort price category is being eliminated for parcels paid using PC postage. Other nonsubstantive conforming changes are being made to the draft Mail Classification Schedule. Parcel Return. Parcel Return service increases, on average, by 3.0 percent. Return BMC prices will increase by 3.3 percent, and the price for parcels picked up at a delivery unit will increase by 2.1 percent.
Global Express Guaranteed. Global Express Guaranteed service increases, on average, by 4.1 percent. The existing structure remains the same. Express Mail International. Express Mail International service increases, on average, by 2.9 percent. The existing structure remains the same. Priority Mail International. Overall, Priority Mail International (PMI) prices increase on average by 3.0 percent. The existing structure of PMI remains the same; however, there will be a single maximum dimension for both rectangular and nonrectangular pieces and rate group 6 is being assigned to Cuba. The name of the regularsize flat rate box changes from ``Regular'' to ``Medium.'' Inbound Air Parcel Post. There will be a single maximum dimension for both rectangular and nonrectangular pieces. Global Expedited Package Services (GEPS) contracts. There will be a single maximum dimension for both rectangular and nonrectangular pieces. Global Plus contracts. There will be a single maximum dimension for both rectangular and nonrectangular pieces. Country group assignments. The country rate group for Kosovo is established. Its country group assignment corresponds to that for Serbia. Details of these changes may be found in the Attachment to Governors' Decision No. 0913. The Filing also includes two additional attachments: A redacted table that shows FY 2010 projected volumes, revenues, attributable costs, contribution, and cost coverage for each product, and an application for nonpublic treatment of the unredacted version of that table. Notice. The establishment of rates of general applicability for competitive products and the associated mail classification changes effect a change in the draft Mail Classification Schedule. As such, pursuant to subpart E of part 3020 of its rules, 39 CFR 3020.90 et seq., the Commission provides notice of the Postal Service's Filing. Interested persons may express views and offer comments on whether the planned changes are consistent with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 3633, or 3642 and 39 CFR part 3015 and 39 CFR 3020, subpart B. Comments are due no later than November 23, 2009. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Richard A. Oliver and John Klingenberg are appointed as Public Representatives to represent the interests of the general public in the abovecaptioned docket. Supplemental information. Pursuant to 39 CFR 3015.6, the Postal Service is requested to provide a written response to the questions below. To assist in the completion of the record, answers should be provided as soon as possible, but by no later than November 13, 2009.
1. Please refer to the redacted, untitled and unnumbered table attached to the Filing which presents certain information for FY 2010 (Table 1). a. The Commission is unable to verify the FY 2010 volume, revenue, attributable cost, contribution, or cost coverage data provided by the Postal Service in Table 1. Please provide data similar to that provided in Docket No. CP20098 to support all data in both the redacted and unredacted versions of Table 1;\2\ and
\2\ See, e.g., Docket No. CP20098, Library Reference USPS CP20098/NP1, November 18, 2008. b. Provide a narrative explaining the method used to forecast data in Table 1. 2. Please reference Governors' Decision No. 0913. The Postal Service provides overall price increases for the following products: Express Mail 4.5 percent, Priority Mail 3.3 percent, Parcel Select 4.7 percent, Parcel Return Service 3.0 percent, Global Express Guaranteed 4.1 percent, Express Mail International 2.9 percent, and Priority Mail International 3.0 percent. Please describe the weights used to derive the Before Rates and After Rates indices relied upon to calculate the overall (average) percentage price increase for each product and service referenced [[Page 58663]] above. Please show all calculations in Excel.\3\
\3\ See e.g., id., Notice of the United States Postal Service of Filing of Responses to Chairman's Information Request No. 2, December 8, 2008.
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP20108 to provide interested persons an opportunity to express views and offer comments on whether the planned changes are consistent with the policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 3633, or 3642 and 39 CFR part 3015 and 39 CFR 3020, subpart B. 2. Comments on the Filing are due no later than November 23, 2009.
3. The Commission appoints Richard A. Oliver and John Klingenberg as Public Representatives to represent the interests of the general public in this proceeding. 4. The Postal Service shall provide a written response to the supplemental information requested in this Order no later than November 13, 2009. 5. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the Federal Register. By the Commission. Judith M. Grady, Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. E927268 Filed 1112E8; 8:45 am]
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