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WASHINGTON – Sylvamo team members are working with postal coalitions to advocate for postal rate reform with members of Congress and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to stabilize the mailing industry, retain traditional mail volume and generate more jobs. 

The industry is concerned about the unprecedented amount and speed of rate increases and negative effects it could have on mailers and paper manufactures. 
Sylvamo manufactures more than one-third of paper sent through USPS, and maintaining cost-competitive postage rates is a priority. 

“Our advocacy urges USPS to slow rate increases and protect traditional mail, a critical service for the American people,” said Laura Pickard, director, Government Relations. "We depend on predictable and affordable postal rates to keep our business strong.” 

The Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA) Foundation’s Institute for Postal Studies released its 2023 U.S. Mailing Industry Economic Job Study, revealing that overall industry impact remains strong thanks to growth in e-commerce driven parcel delivery, but traditional mail jobs are declining. 

Key Findings: 

• 7.9 million jobs represent 5% of the country’s total civilian labor force 

• $1.9 trillion in sales revenue accounts for 4.1% of U.S. total output 

• From 2018 to 2022, jobs associated with traditional mail dropped by 7% 

How Sylvamo Advocates:  

• We worked with coalitions including the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom,) Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service (C-21) and Keep Us Posted 

• North American employees supported a grassroots letter-writing campaign from Keep Us Posted, urging Congress to slow the rate increases  

• Cheryl Chapman, Sylvamo product manager and EMA Foundation’s Institute for Postal Studies chair, and Laura Pickard, director, Government Relations, attended advocacy events 

• Chapman presented results of the EMA study before Congress at a Postal 101 briefing