81 FR 72125 - Market Dominant Price Adjustment

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 202 (October 19, 2016)

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant domestic and international products and services, along with numerous proposed classification changes. The adjustments and other changes are scheduled to take effect January 22, 2017. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72125-72126]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25207]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. R2017-1; Order No. 3565]


Market Dominant Price Adjustment

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service 
notice of inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant 
domestic and international products and services, along with numerous 
proposed classification changes. The adjustments and other changes are 
scheduled to take effect January 22, 2017. This notice informs the 
public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other 
administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: November 1, 2016.

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 and Overview
II. Initial Administrative Actions
III. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction and Overview

    On October 12, 2016, the Postal Service filed a notice of 
inflation-based rate adjustments affecting market dominant domestic and 
international products and services, along with numerous proposed 
classification changes.\1\ The intended effective date is January 22, 
2017. Notice at 1.
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    \1\ United States Postal Service Notice of Market Dominant Price 
Adjustment, October 12, 2016 (Notice).
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    Contents of filing. The Postal Service's filing consists of the 
Notice which the

[[Page 72126]]

Postal Service represents addresses the data and information required 
under 39 CFR 3010.12; three attachments (Attachments A-C) to the 
Notice; and six sets of workpapers filed as library references. See id.
    Attachment A presents the proposed rate and classification changes 
to the Mail Classification Schedule (MCS). Id. Attachment A. The other 
attachments address workshare discounts and related information and the 
price cap calculation. See Notice, Attachments B and C, respectively.
    The library references present supporting financial documentation 
for the five classes of mail and for First-Class Mail International. 
See Notice at 6-7. The First-Class Mail International library reference 
was filed under seal.\2\
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    \2\ See Notice of the United States Postal Service of Filing of 
USPS-LR-R2017-1/NP1, October 12, 2016.
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    Planned price adjustments. The Postal Service's planned percentage 
changes by class are, on average:

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                                                               Price
                  Market dominant class                     adjustment
                                                          authority  (%)
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First-Class Mail........................................           0.780
Standard Mail...........................................           0.895
Periodicals.............................................           0.832
Package Services........................................           1.007
Special Services........................................           2.536
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    Notice at 7.
    Most of the planned adjustments entail increases to market dominant 
rates and fees; however, in a few instances, the Postal Service 
proposes either no adjustment or a decrease. In addition, price 
adjustments for products within classes vary from the average, 
sometimes substantially. See, e.g., id. at 15, 24 (Table 5 showing 
range for First-Class Mail products and Table 8 showing range for 
Standard Mail products).
    Proposed classification changes. The Postal Service proposes 
numerous classification changes in its Notice and identifies the impact 
on the MCS in Attachment A. Id. at 56-58; id. Attachment A.

II. Initial Administrative Actions

    The Commission hereby provides public notice of the Postal 
Service's filing and pursuant to 39 CFR 3010.11 establishes Docket No. 
R2017-1 to consider the planned price adjustments in rates and fees for 
market dominant postal products and services, as well as the related 
classification changes, identified in the Postal Service's October 12, 
2016 Notice. The Commission invites comments from interested persons on 
whether the Notice is consistent with 39 U.S.C. 3622 and the 
requirements of 39 CFR part 3010. Comments are due no later than 
November 1, 2016.
    The Commission has posted the public portions of the Postal 
Service's filing on its Web site at http://www.prc.gov. The Commission 
will post revisions to the filing (if any) or other documents the 
Postal Service submits in this docket on its Web site, along with 
related Commission documents, comments, or other submissions, unless 
such filings are the subject of an application for non-public 
treatment. The Commission's policy on access to documents filed under 
seal appears in 39 CFR part 3007.
    Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lauren A. 
D'Agostino to represent the interests of the general public (Public 
Representative) in this proceeding.

III. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. R2017-1 to consider 
planned price adjustments in rates and fees for market dominant postal 
products and services and related classification changes identified in 
the Postal Service's October 12, 2016 Notice.
    2. Comments on the planned price adjustments and related 
classification changes are due no later than November 1, 2016.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Lauren A. D'Agostino is appointed to 
serve as an officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to 
represent the interests of the general public 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.
Stacy L. Ruble,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-25207 Filed 10-18-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P