US Postal Service proposes new rates “to offset” inflation

CNN
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The US Postal Service on Friday proposed increased rates “to compensate for the increase in inflation,” according to a statement from the agency.

The price increases, approved by the governors of the US Postal Service, include a three-cent increase to buy a stamp and a four-cent increase to send a postcard. The changes amount to a 4.2% price increase for first-class mail, according to the USPS.

The proposal will now be reviewed by the Norwegian Postal Authority.

The announcement by the US Postal Service comes as consumers around the country continue to struggle with rising prices for groceries, gas and other necessities. The US Postal Service has publicly struggled financially in recent years, and President Joe Biden signed a law earlier this year to overhaul the USPS’s finances and allow the agency to modernize the service.

“As operating costs continue to rise, these rate adjustments provide the Postal Service with much-needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by the Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the US Postal Service said Friday. “US Postal Service rates remain among the most affordable in the world.”

Unlike other government agencies, the USPS generally does not receive taxpayer funding, and instead must rely on revenue from stamps and package deliveries to support itself.

The postal service is also looking to increase fees for renting post office boxes, money orders and the cost of buying insurance when you send an item.

If approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the changes will come into force on 22 January 2023, after midnight.