Postal Regulator Remands Rate Case
Back to USPS for a Second Time
For the second time in less than two weeks, the Postal Regulatory Commission earlier this week remanded a Postal Service proposal to adjust rates for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services. Below are the key points from the PRC order related to the Standard Mail portion.
PRC finds the disparity between commercial and nonprofit presort discounts for Standard Mail High Density flats and letters proposed in the USPS's March 12th response unlawful. USPS must resolve the disparity between commercial and nonprofit presort discounts.
The Postal Service must provide the calculations it used to develop the exigent surcharges for each new Standard Mail FSS price category.
The PRC remands the Standard Mail price adjustments identified in the USPS's March 12th response to allow the Postal Service to submit amendments that achieve compliance with title 39, legal precedent, and applicable regulations.
The PRC requires further information to be filed by the USPS regarding package services and periodicals.
Once the Postal Service files a response to the Commission’s order, the public will have 7 days from the date of that filing to comment on the revised proposal.
At this point, it's anyone's guess as to how and whether the USPS will enact new rates on its originally-set implementation date of April 26th. Rates for First Class and other mail classes not impacted by these two remands will be ready to be implemented, but the USPS may choose to delay those and set a new date for all new rates, implement only those rates on the 26th and delay Standard, Periodicals and Packages, or find some way to implement all the new rates on the 26th. We will keep you posted as we find out more.
About ACMA ACMA is a Washington-based not-for-profit organization specifically created to advocate for the unique collective interests of catalog mailers in regulatory, public and administrative matters where the shared impact transcends individual company interests. The only catalog owned and controlled trade group focused solely on the business interests of catalogers and their supply chain, ACMA participates in rule-making and other proceedings of significance where a single collective voice increases influence and effectiveness. Membership is open to any party with direct interests in the catalog industry. More information can be found at www.catalogmailers.org.
