US Postal Service to Raise Shipping Charges by Over 6 Percent
'The changes would raise domestic shipping services prices approximately 6.3 percent for Priority Mail service, 7.1 percent for USPS Ground Advantage, and 7.6 percent for Parcel Select. Prices are not changing for Priority Mail Express service,' the company said on May 9.
Priority Mail is one of the fastest delivery services offered by USPS, with packages arriving at destinations in two to three business days. Ground Advantage delivers in around two to five days, while Parcel Select is a solution for high-volume shippers, with packages taking two to eight days for delivery.
The rate increases were approved by the Board of Governors last week. 'The USPS governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.'
The rate changes will support USPS's $40 billion investments and continue the improvement and modernization of its operations, the postal service said.
Pricing changes have been implemented as part of the Delivering for America initiative, a 10-year plan introduced in 2021 that aims to
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USPS revealed its Q2 financial
'As we mark 250 years of service to the nation, our organization continues to face economic headwinds. We are working diligently to control costs, increase revenues, and transform and modernize our infrastructure,' said acting Postmaster General Douglas Tulino.
'At the same time, we are seeing strong market acceptance of shipping products like USPS Ground Advantage and adopting an increasingly competitive posture across our product portfolio.'
In fiscal year 2024, USPS reported a net loss of $9.5 billion, up by $3 billion compared to the previous fiscal year.
USPS has initiated several cost-cutting measures to improve its financial position.
On March 13, former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said USPS had
Leadership Change
USPS is currently changing leadership. Following DeJoy's resignation in March, the USPS Board of Governors elected David Steiner as Postmaster General and CEO, the agency said in a May 9
Steiner serves on the board of USPS competitor FedEx and other companies. He is expected to leave the FedEx board before joining USPS, the service said.
'We anticipate Steiner will formally join the organization in July, assuming his successful completion of the ethics and security clearance vetting processes.'
The National Association of Letter Carriers, a union representing 295,000 active and retired letter carriers, had
Appointing Steiner to lead USPS is a 'clear conflict of interest,' it said. 'His selection isn't just a conflict of interest—it's an aggressive step toward handing America's mail system over to corporate interests.'
'Private shippers have been waiting to get USPS out of parcel delivery for years. Steiner's selection is an open invitation to do just that.'
Nonprofit advocacy Keep US Posted, dedicated to the long-term health of USPS, supported the appointment of Steiner in a May 7
Kevin Yoder, Keep US Posted executive director, said the group aims to work with Steiner to make sure the postal service prioritizes its long-term sustainability and ensures affordable access to mail for Americans.
'This is a pivotal moment for the Postal Service, as self-inflicted service failures, ever escalating costs, and volume-killing rate increases by Louis DeJoy under the Delivering for America plan have pushed USPS to the brink of failure,' he said.
'We are optimistic that Steiner's leadership will strengthen the institution's mission of delivering reliable, affordable mail services to every American, every day.'
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