The U.S. Postal Service will move forward with its stark price hikes on Aug. 29 following a federal court opting not to block the increase from going into effect while a lawsuit plays out.
USPS will raise rates for regular, First-Class mail by 6.8% and for package services by 8.8%. A standard stamp will go from $0.55 to $0.58. Large-scale mail users are suing the Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission, arguing the authority postal management used to implement the rate increase is unlawful. The groups asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to issue a stay to prevent the hikes from taking effect next week while the underlying case is resolved, but the court on Tuesday declined to do so.
Dave Partenheimer, a postal spokesman, confirmed the mailing agency will implement the new prices as planned.
“The new pricing will enable us to grow revenue to help achieve financial sustainability to fulfill our universal service mission, as outlined in our Delivering for America plan,” Partenheimer said. “Even with the rate increases, Postal Service prices will remain among the world’s most affordable.”