MTAC Winter Meeting Recap: Key Signals for Mailers in 2026
With Rob Glaza actively engaged in national postal policy and operations discussions as an MTAC member, American Litho remains closely connected to the developments shaping the future of the U.S. Postal Service. That perspective allows us to translate key takeaways from the MTAC Winter Meeting into practical insight for mailers operating at scale.
The January MTAC Winter Meeting delivered meaningful signals on postal pricing stability, regulatory direction, and USPS strategy. As 2026 begins, those signals bring greater clarity in some areas—and sharper questions in others. Here’s what mail owners should be paying attention to now.
A Clearer Regulatory Framework, For Now
The most consequential development coming out of January was the Postal Regulatory Commission’s final order limiting the Postal Service to one Market Dominant rate increase per year through at least 2030.
For large mailers, this matters less because it restrains rates—and more because it restores predictability. The ability to model costs beyond a single planning cycle has been difficult in recent years. This decision provides a clearer framework for long-term budgeting and strategy.
That said, the way this order was written is telling. Its length, complexity, and technical rigor suggest the PRC anticipates legal challenges. In parallel, the Commission has opened a proceeding to address USPS’s request for expanded pricing authority. That process will help determine whether the current framework holds or evolves again.
In short: the guardrails are clearer, but the debate is far from over.
Service Performance Is Improving and Being Leveraged
USPS leadership characterized the 2025 peak season as a success, citing measurable improvements in service performance. Investments in capacity, network changes, and operational execution appear to be producing results.
For mailers, improved service reliability is welcome. But it’s important to recognize how these improvements are being positioned. USPS is using service gains to support broader arguments for pricing flexibility and financial relief.
Operational performance is no longer just an internal metric—it has become part of the Postal Service’s broader strategy with regulators and Congress.
The Last Mile Remains Central to USPS Strategy
One consistent theme at the Winter MTAC meeting was the continued focus on last-mile delivery. USPS leadership views the last mile as an underutilized asset and is actively exploring ways to monetize it through negotiated service agreements and competitive package strategies.
For mail owners, this reinforces an important reality: letters, flats, and packages are increasingly being evaluated within the same strategic framework. Decisions made on the package side of the business can—and often do—affect the broader postal ecosystem.
Pricing Outlook: Fewer Surprises, Continued Pressure
Forward-looking guidance shared at MTAC points to ongoing upward pressure driven by inflation and density-related factors. While the PRC’s ruling limits increases to once per year, it does not eliminate the underlying cost drivers.
What has improved is visibility. Mailers now have earlier insight into potential scenarios, creating opportunities to adjust formats, preparation strategies, and logistics well ahead of implementation.
Those who treat postal planning as a continuous process will be better positioned than those who wait for final rate announcements.
Technology and Compliance Changes Matter More Than They Appear
Several quieter developments discussed at MTAC deserve attention. USPS is continuing to modernize its technology infrastructure, including the retirement of legacy APIs and tighter controls around access to tracking data.
Proposed changes to dimensional reporting requirements for packages could also expose some shippers to new fees if systems and processes are not prepared.
Individually, these changes may seem incremental. Collectively, they reflect a Postal Service that is tightening controls, reducing ambiguity, and placing more responsibility on mailers and partners to adapt.
What This Means for Mail Owners
As we move through early 2026, the postal landscape is clearer, but not simpler.
Mailers are facing:
- Greater predictability in the timing of rate increases
- Continued upward pricing pressure
- A Postal Service actively testing new revenue models
- A regulatory framework that is stable for now, but still contested
In this environment, waiting is costly.
The organizations that will navigate this period most effectively are the ones actively evaluating format choices, preparation strategies, logistics, and long-term postal planning before changes take effect, not after.
Clarity is an advantage. What you do with it will determine the outcome.
At American Litho, our PostEvolution services are designed to help mail owners turn MTAC insight into action, evaluating format, preparation, logistics, and long-term postal strategy with the benefit of real-world, operator-level experience. As USPS policy, pricing, and operations continue to evolve, proactive planning is no longer optional.
If you have questions about how the developments discussed at the MTAC Winter Meeting may affect your mail programs, I welcome the opportunity to connect and discuss your specific challenges.
Rob Glaza
Director – Postal Affairs & Logistics
American Litho
rglaza@americanlitho.com
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