80 FR 61511 - New Postal Product

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 197 (October 13, 2015)

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing concerning a revised model agreement for the International Merchandise Return Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators product. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 197 (Tuesday, October 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61511-61512]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25915]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. MC2015-68 and CP2015-99; Order No. 2744]


New Postal Product

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing 
concerning a revised model agreement for the International Merchandise 
Return Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators product. This 
notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and 
takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: October 15, 2015.

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. Notice of Commission Action
III. Request for Supplemental Information
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On August 4, 2015, the Commission conditionally approved the 
proposed International Merchandise Return Service Agreements with 
Foreign Postal Operators (IMRS-FPO) product.\1\ To ensure that the 
IMRS-FPO product covers its attributable costs, the Commission directed 
the Postal Service to amend the model agreement to include language 
that: ``(1) automatically adjusts the agreement's prices if [they fall] 
below the range most recently approved by the Commission; or (2) 
automatically terminates the agreement if the agreement's prices fall 
below the range most recently approved by the Commission.'' Order No. 
2639 at 7.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Order Conditionally Approving Addition of Competitive 
International Merchandise Return Service Agreements with Foreign 
Postal Operators (IMRS-FPO) to the Competitive Product List, August 
4, 2015, at 7 (Order No. 2639).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On October 1, 2015, the Postal Service filed a revised model 
agreement for the proposed IMRS-FPO product.\2\ A redacted copy of the 
revised model agreement appears as Attachment 1 to the Response. The 
Postal Service states that changes were made to Article 9, Article 23, 
and Annex 1. Response at 1.

[[Page 61512]]

As a result of these changes, the Postal Service claims that IMRS-FPO 
agreements will now ``automatically terminate'' should the rates in the 
agreement fall outside the IMRS-FPO rate range most recently approved 
by the Commission. Id. at 1-2. The Postal Service asserts that the 
revisions to the model agreement are consistent with Order No. 2639. 
Id. at 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ United States Postal Service Response to Order No. 2639 
Concerning Revised Model Agreement for Competitive International 
Merchandise Return Service Agreements with Foreign Postal Operators 
(IMRS-FPO), October 1, 2015 (Response).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Notice of Commission Action

    In Order No. 2639, the Commission stated that once the Postal 
Service filed a revised model agreement it would ``notice that filing 
for comment.'' Order No. 2639 at 8. Accordingly, the Commission invites 
comments on whether the Postal Service's revised model agreement is 
consistent with the Commission's directive. Interested persons, 
including the Public Representative, may submit comments on the 
information in the Postal Service's Response no later than October 15, 
2015. James F. Callow will continue to serve as Public Representative 
in these proceedings.

III. Request for Supplemental Information

    Article 9 of the revised model agreement states that, in the event 
that the prices in the agreement no longer fall within the range most 
recently approved by the Commission, the agreement ``shall expire sixty 
(60) days after the effective date of the new rate range. . . .'' 
Response, Attachment 1 at 3. The Commission requests that the Postal 
Service explain why IMRS-FPO agreements cannot terminate sooner than 
sixty days after the effective date of a new rate range. The Postal 
Service's response is due no later than October 13, 2015.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. Comments on the information in the Postal Service's Response are 
due no later than October 15, 2015.
    2. The Postal Service's response to the request for supplemental 
information is due no later than October 13, 2015.
    3. James F. Callow will continue to serve as an officer of the 
Commission (Public Representative) to represent the interests of the 
general public in these proceedings.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-25915 Filed 10-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P