PROPOSED FEDEX-POSTAL SERVICE ALLIANCE GETS HYDE’s ATTENTION

PROPOSED FEDEX-POSTAL SERVICE ALLIANCE GETS HYDEÆS ATTENTION    House Judiciary Committee chairman Henry Hyde has requested the U.S. Department of Justice begin a review of competitive issues that may be associated with a possible alliance between FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.
   The Postal Service on Sept. 7 confirmed that it has been negotiating a strategic alliance with FedEx, Hyde noted.
   “This negotiation raises a variety of antitrust concerns,” Hyde said in a letter to assistant attorney general Joel Klein. “Any final alliance may try to use the Postal Service’s potential immunity as a shield against antitrust scrutiny.”
   “As we go forward, I believe that we must re-examine the continued viability of the Postal Service’s potential antitrust immunity if it is to compete against private businesses,” Hyde said.