[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 12 (Thursday, January 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3922-3923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00862]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. CP2013-39; Order No. 1620]
International Mail Contracts
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service
request concerning an additional Global Plus 1C contract. This document
invites public comments on the request and addresses several related
procedural steps.
DATES: Comments are due: January 23, 2013.
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. Contents of Filing
III. Commission Action
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
Notice of filing. On January 10, 2013, the Postal Service filed a
notice announcing that it is entering into an additional Global Plus 1C
contract (Agreement).\1\ The Postal Service seeks
[[Page 3923]]
to have the Agreement included within the Global Plus 1C product on the
grounds of functional equivalence to previously approved baseline
agreements. Id. at 1-2.
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\1\ Notice of the United States Postal Service of Filing a
Functionally Equivalent Global Plus 1C Negotiated Service Agreement
and Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials Filed Under
Seal, January 10, 2013 (Notice). The Notice was filed in accordance
with 39 CFR 3015.5. Id. at 1. See also Errata to Notice of the
United States Postal Service of Filing a Functionally Equivalent
Global Plus 1C Negotiated Service Agreement and Application for Non-
Public Treatment of Materials Filed Under Seal, January 11, 2013.
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Product history. The Commission added Global Plus 1C to the
competitive product list by operation of Order No. 1151.\2\ It
concurrently designated the agreements filed in companion Docket Nos.
CP2012-12 and CP2012-13 as the baseline agreements for purposes of
establishing the functional equivalency of other agreements proposed
for inclusion with the Global Plus 1C product. Id. at 2. The Agreement
that is the subject of this filing is the immediate successor to the
agreement approved in Docket No. CP2012-12. Id. at 4.
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\2\ Docket Nos. MC2012-6, CP2012-12, and CP2012-13, Order Adding
Global Plus 1C to the Competitive Product List and Approving Related
Global Plus 1C Agreements, January 19, 2012 (Order No. 1151).
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Customers for Global Plus 1C contracts are Postal Qualified
Wholesalers (PQWs) and other large businesses that offer mailing
services to end users for shipping articles via International Priority
Airmail, International Surface Air Lift, Global Express Guaranteed,
Express Mail International, Priority Mail International, and/or
Commercial ePacket service. Id. at 5.
II. Contents of Filing
The filing includes the Notice, along with the following
attachments:
Attachment 1--a redacted copy of the Agreement;
Attachment 2--a redacted copy of the certification
required under 39 CFR 3015.5(c)(2);
Attachment 3--a redacted copy of Governors' Decision No.
11-6; and
Attachment 4--an application for non-public treatment of
material filed under seal.
The material filed under seal consists of unredacted copies of the
Agreement and supporting financial documents. Id. at 2. The Postal
Service filed redacted versions of the sealed financial documents in
public Excel spreadsheets. Id. at 3.
Functional equivalency. The Postal Service asserts that the instant
Agreement and the baseline agreements are functionally equivalent
because they share similar cost and market characteristics. Id. at 4.
It notes that the pricing formula and classification established in
Governors' Decision No. 08-8 ensure that each Global Plus 1C contract
meets the criteria of 39 U.S.C. 3633 and related regulations. Id. at 4-
5. The Postal Service also indicates that the pricing formula relied on
for Global Plus 1C contracts is included in Governors' Decision No. 11-
6. Id. at 5. The Postal Service further asserts that the functional
terms of the two agreements are the same and the benefits are
comparable. Id.
The Postal Service states that prices may differ, depending on when
an agreement is signed, due to updated costing information. Id. It also
identifies other differences in contractual terms, but asserts that the
differences do not affect either the fundamental service being offered
or the fundamental structure of the Agreement.\3\ Id. at 6.
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\3\ The list includes, among other things, the non-inclusion of
a particular service, the addition and revision of articles, and
related renumbering of articles. See id. at 6-7.
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Effective date; term. The scheduled effective date of the Agreement
is January 27, 2013. Id. at 3. The Agreement is expected to be in
effect for approximately 1 year. Termination is either the date prior
to the date in January 2014 that Canada Post Corporation makes changes
to published rates affecting Qualifying Mail \4\ or, in the event of
inaction, January 31, 2014. Id at 4.
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\4\ Article 3 of the Agreement outlines the requirements for
mail to be considered as Qualifying Mail. Id. at 2-3.
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III. Commission Action
The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-39 for consideration
of matters raised in the Notice. Interested persons may submit comments
on whether the Agreement is consistent with the requirements of 39 CFR
3015.5 and the policies of sections 3632, 3633, and 3642. Comments are
due no later than January 23, 2013. The public portions of the Postal
Service's filing can be accessed via the Commission's Web site at
http://www.prc.gov. Information on how to obtain access to nonpublic
material appears at 39 CFR part 3007.
The Commission appoints Curtis E. Kidd to represent the interests
of the general public (Public Representative) in this case.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. CP2013-39 for
consideration of matters raised in the Postal Service's Notice.
2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission designates Curtis E.
Kidd 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 23, 2013.
4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the
Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-00862 Filed 1-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P