A Word from the Chairman
Dan G. Blair
Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission
I am pleased to join Postmaster General John Potter of the U.S. Postal Service for the 24th Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress held this summer in Geneva, Switzerland. I will serve as a Deputy Head of a multi-agency U.S. delegation led by the U.S. Department of State, which includes representatives of the Postal Regulatory Commission, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Commerce, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It will be an honor to share with UPU member countries the Commission’s perspective on our most recent postal reform legislation.
The UPU is the United Nations’ specialized agency that facilitates the exchange of international mail worldwide – an industry with revenues of over $2 billion in the United States. The UPU Congress, which convenes every four years, is the supreme authority of the Union which brings together high-level postal stakeholders of all 191 member countries. The Congress reviews and revises the UPU Acts; sets the budget; develops a four-year strategic plan; and elects the Director General, Deputy Director General, and members of the Union's two governing bodies, the Council of Administration (CA) and the Postal Operations Council (POC).
The United States has been an active member of the UPU since its founding in 1874. In recent years, members of the U.S. delegation have served successfully as POC Chairman and provided leadership on issues such as performance measurement, strategic planning, technical standards, Express Mail Service (EMS), and the establishment of the UPU's Consultative Committee for private sector stakeholders, to name a few. By law, the Secretary of State must seek the Commission’s view on whether any international convention or treaty that establishes a rate or classification is consistent with our system of ratemaking.
My prepared remarks before the UPU Congress will be posted on the Commission's website on July 25.
Sincerely,
Dan G. Blair
Chairman
Read more about Chairman Blair.
Commissioners conduct field hearing on Universal Service Obligation (USO) at Flagstaff, Arizona, on May 21, 2008
Commission receives public comments at Washington, DC, USO public hearing on July 10, 2008
Schedule for Regular and Predictable Price Changes
The Postal Service expects to implement price changes for all market-dominant classes on
May 12, 2008 and annually every May, consistent with the statutory CPI-based price cap
in December. The 2008 increases equal, on average, 2.9%.
Recent trend data showing 12-month average change
in CPI-U
MC2008-5Modification of the Mail Classification Schedule Addition to Competitive Product Category Express Mail Contract 1
MC2008-1Review of Nonpostal Services
C2008-3Complaint of Capital One Services, Inc.
PI2008-4Inquiry into Cooperative Mail Rule Exception
PI2008-3Report on Universal Postal Service and the Postal Monopoly
PI2008-2Review of Treasury Report
PI2008-1Service Performance Measurement Systems for Market Dominant Products
CP2008-4Rates and Classifications for Competitive Products Not of General Applicability (This Docket has been Consolidated with CP2008-5)
CP2008-5Competitive Product Prices Global Expedited Package Services Negotiated Service Agreements
CP2008-6Rates and Classifications for Competitive Products Not of General Applicability (This Docket has been consolidated with CP2008-7)
CP2008-7Competitive Product Prices Express Mail International Bilateral/Multilateral Agreements
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act