In a major deal for the largest shipping company in the United States, UPS has reached an agreement to become the majority air cargo provider for the U.S. Postal Service.
The Atlanta-based courier announced Monday that it was awarded the contract after USPS was unable to hammer out a deal to extend its current contract with FedEx, which is set to expire in September. While the financial terms of the agreement were not publicly disclosed, UPS said it was "significant" and "effective immediately."
"Together UPS and USPS have developed an innovative solution that is mutually beneficial and complements our unique, reliable and efficient integrated network," UPS CEO Carol Tomé said in a statement.
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The new deal holds a minimum term of five-and-a-half years and is scheduled to begin on Sept. 30. USPS said it aims to reduce overall transportation costs by about $3 billion over the next two years.
"Finalizing this agreement is a key step toward achieving our operational and financial sustainability goals," USPS said in a statement.
In recent years, USPS has reorganized and shifted focus to lowering costs and increasing profitability after narrowly avoiding bankruptcy. The agency announced a 10-year overhaul in 2020 that included slowing down some delivery standards, decreasing plane deliveries, and closing down or cutting hours at some post offices across the U.S.
Shares in UPS were up by about 2% before the opening bell on Wall Street Monday, while shares in FedEx were down by about the same amount.
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