Trump wants Postal Service to charge 'much more' for Amazon shipmentsSEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump called on the U.S. Postal Service on Friday to charge “much more” to ship packages for Amazon (AMZN.O), picking another fight with an online retail giant he has criticized in the past.     “Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!” Trump wrote on Twitter.  The president’s tweet drew fresh attention to the fragile finances of the Postal Service at a time when tens of millions of parcels have just been shipped all over the country for the holiday season.  The U.S. Postal Service, which runs at a big loss, is an independent agency within the federal government and does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses, according to its website.  Package delivery has become an increasingly important part of its business as the Internet has led to a sharp decline in the amount of first-class letters. The president does not determine postal rates. They are set by the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent government agency with commissioners selected by the president from both political parties. That panel raised prices on packages by almost 2 percent in November.  Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, who remains the chief executive officer of the retail company and is the richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg News. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, a newspaper Trump has repeatedly railed against in his criticisms of the news media. In tweets over the past year, Trump has said the “Amazon Washington Post” fabricated stories. He has said Amazon does not pay sales tax, which is not true, and so hurts other retailers, part of a pattern by the former businessman and reality television host of periodically turning his ire on big American companies since he took office in January. Daniel Ives, a research analyst at GBH Insights, said Trump’s comment could be taken as a warning to the retail giant. However, he said he was not concerned for Amazon. “We do not see any price hikes in the future. However, that is a risk that Amazon is clearly aware of and (it) is building out its distribution (system) aggressively,” he said. Amazon has shown interest in the past in shifting into its own delivery service, including testing drones for deliveries. In 2015, the company spent $11.5 billion on shipping, 46 percent of its total operating expenses that year.  Amazon shares were down 0.86 percent to $1,175.90 by early afternoon. Overall, U.S. stock prices were down slightly on Friday.  Satish Jindel, president of ShipMatrix Inc, which analyzes shipping data, disputed the idea that the Postal Service charges less than United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) and FedEx Corp (FDX.N), the other biggest players in the parcel delivery business in the United States. Many customers get lower rates from UPS and FedEx than they would get from the post office for comparable services, he said. The Postal Service delivers about 62 percent of Amazon packages, for about 3.5 to 4 million a day during the current peak year-end holiday shipping season, Jindel said. The Seattle-based company and the post office have an agreement in which mail carriers take Amazon packages on the last leg of their journeys, from post offices to customers’ doorsteps. Amazon’s No. 2 carrier is UPS, at 21 percent, and FedEx is third, with 8 percent or so, according to Jindel. Trump’s comment tapped into a debate over whether Postal Service pricing has kept pace with the rise of e-commerce, which has flooded the mail with small packages.Private companies like UPS have long claimed the current system unfairly undercuts their business. Steve Gaut, a spokesman for UPS, noted that the company values its “productive relationship” with the postal service, but that it has filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission its concerns about the postal service’s methods for covering costs. Representatives for Amazon, the White House, the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx declined comment or were not immediately available for comment on Trump’s tweet. According to its annual report, the Postal Service lost $2.74 billion this year, and its deficit has ballooned to $61.86 billion.  While the Postal Service’s revenue for first class mail, marketing mail and periodicals is flat or declining, revenue from package delivery is up 44 percent since 2014 to $19.5 billion in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2017. But it also lost about $2 billion in revenue when a temporary surcharge expired in April 2016. According to a Government Accountability Office report in February, the service is facing growing personnel expenses, particularly $73.4 billion in unfunded pension and benefits liabilities. The Postal Service has not announced any plans to cut costs. By law, the Postal Service has to set prices for package delivery to cover the costs attributable to that service. But the postal service allocates only 5.5 percent of its total costs to its business of shipping packages even though that line of business is 28 percent of its total revenue. politicsNews
trump wants postal service charge amazon reuters president donald trump called postal service friday charge much ship packages amazon picking another fight online retail giant criticized past why united states post office losing many billions dollars year charging amazon others little deliver packages making amazon richer post office number poorer should charging much more trump wrote twitter the president tweet drew fresh attention fragile finances postal service time tens millions parcels shipped country holiday season the postal service runs big loss independent agency within federal government receive tax dollars operating expenses according website package delivery become increasingly important part business internet led sharp decline amount letters the president determine postal rates they set postal regulatory commission independent government agency commissioners selected president political parties that panel raised prices packages almost percent november amazon founded jeff below remains chief executive officer retail company richest person world according bloomberg news below also owns the washington post newspaper trump repeatedly failed criticisms news media in tweets past year trump said amazon washington post fabricated stories he said amazon pay sales tax true hurts retailers part pattern former businessman reality television host periodically turning ire big american companies since took office january daniel gives research analyst gb insights said trump comment could taken warning retail giant however said concerned amazon we see price hikes future however risk amazon clearly aware building distribution system aggressively said amazon shown interest past shifting delivery service including testing drones deliveries in company spent billion shipping percent total operating expenses year amazon shares percent early afternoon overall stock prices slightly friday parish index president shipmatrix inc analyzes shipping data disputed idea postal service charges less united parcel service inc index corp biggest players parcel delivery business united states many customers get lower rates ups index would get post office comparable services said the postal service delivers percent amazon packages million day current peak holiday shipping season index said the company post office agreement mail carriers take amazon packages last leg journeys post offices customers doorstep amazon no carrier ups percent index third percent according index trump comment tapped debate whether postal service pricing kept pace rise flooded mail small companies like ups long claimed current system unfairly undercut business steve gut spokesman ups noted company values productive relationship postal service filed postal regulatory commission concerns postal service methods covering costs representatives amazon white house postal service index declined comment immediately available comment trump tweet according annual report postal service lost billion year deficit balloon billion while postal service revenue first class mail marketing mail periodicals flat declining revenue package delivery percent since billion fiscal year ended but also lost billion revenue temporary surcharge expired april according government accountability office report february service facing growing personnel expenses particularly billion unfounded pension benefits liabilities the postal service announced plans cut costs by law postal service set prices package delivery cover costs attributable service but postal service allocated percent total costs business shipping packages even though line business percent total revenue politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Trump wants Postal Service to charge 'much more' for Amazon shipmentsSEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump called on the U.S. Postal Service on Friday to charge “much more” to ship packages for Amazon (AMZN.O), picking another fight with an online retail giant he has criticized in the past.     “Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!” Trump wrote on Twitter.  The president’s tweet drew fresh attention to the fragile finances of the Postal Service at a time when tens of millions of parcels have just been shipped all over the country for the holiday season.  The U.S. Postal Service, which runs at a big loss, is an independent agency within the federal government and does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses, according to its website.  Package delivery has become an increasingly important part of its business as the Internet has led to a sharp decline in the amount of first-class letters. The president does not determine postal rates. They are set by the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent government agency with commissioners selected by the president from both political parties. That panel raised prices on packages by almost 2 percent in November.  Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, who remains the chief executive officer of the retail company and is the richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg News. Bezos also owns The Washington Post, a newspaper Trump has repeatedly railed against in his criticisms of the news media. In tweets over the past year, Trump has said the “Amazon Washington Post” fabricated stories. He has said Amazon does not pay sales tax, which is not true, and so hurts other retailers, part of a pattern by the former businessman and reality television host of periodically turning his ire on big American companies since he took office in January. Daniel Ives, a research analyst at GBH Insights, said Trump’s comment could be taken as a warning to the retail giant. However, he said he was not concerned for Amazon. “We do not see any price hikes in the future. However, that is a risk that Amazon is clearly aware of and (it) is building out its distribution (system) aggressively,” he said. Amazon has shown interest in the past in shifting into its own delivery service, including testing drones for deliveries. In 2015, the company spent $11.5 billion on shipping, 46 percent of its total operating expenses that year.  Amazon shares were down 0.86 percent to $1,175.90 by early afternoon. Overall, U.S. stock prices were down slightly on Friday.  Satish Jindel, president of ShipMatrix Inc, which analyzes shipping data, disputed the idea that the Postal Service charges less than United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) and FedEx Corp (FDX.N), the other biggest players in the parcel delivery business in the United States. Many customers get lower rates from UPS and FedEx than they would get from the post office for comparable services, he said. The Postal Service delivers about 62 percent of Amazon packages, for about 3.5 to 4 million a day during the current peak year-end holiday shipping season, Jindel said. The Seattle-based company and the post office have an agreement in which mail carriers take Amazon packages on the last leg of their journeys, from post offices to customers’ doorsteps. Amazon’s No. 2 carrier is UPS, at 21 percent, and FedEx is third, with 8 percent or so, according to Jindel. Trump’s comment tapped into a debate over whether Postal Service pricing has kept pace with the rise of e-commerce, which has flooded the mail with small packages.Private companies like UPS have long claimed the current system unfairly undercuts their business. Steve Gaut, a spokesman for UPS, noted that the company values its “productive relationship” with the postal service, but that it has filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission its concerns about the postal service’s methods for covering costs. Representatives for Amazon, the White House, the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx declined comment or were not immediately available for comment on Trump’s tweet. According to its annual report, the Postal Service lost $2.74 billion this year, and its deficit has ballooned to $61.86 billion.  While the Postal Service’s revenue for first class mail, marketing mail and periodicals is flat or declining, revenue from package delivery is up 44 percent since 2014 to $19.5 billion in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2017. But it also lost about $2 billion in revenue when a temporary surcharge expired in April 2016. According to a Government Accountability Office report in February, the service is facing growing personnel expenses, particularly $73.4 billion in unfunded pension and benefits liabilities. The Postal Service has not announced any plans to cut costs. By law, the Postal Service has to set prices for package delivery to cover the costs attributable to that service. But the postal service allocates only 5.5 percent of its total costs to its business of shipping packages even though that line of business is 28 percent of its total revenue. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: trump wants postal service charge amazon reuters president donald trump called postal service friday charge much ship packages amazon picking another fight online retail giant criticized past why united states post office losing many billions dollars year charging amazon others little deliver packages making amazon richer post office number poorer should charging much more trump wrote twitter the president tweet drew fresh attention fragile finances postal service time tens millions parcels shipped country holiday season the postal service runs big loss independent agency within federal government receive tax dollars operating expenses according website package delivery become increasingly important part business internet led sharp decline amount letters the president determine postal rates they set postal regulatory commission independent government agency commissioners selected president political parties that panel raised prices packages almost percent november amazon founded jeff below remains chief executive officer retail company richest person world according bloomberg news below also owns the washington post newspaper trump repeatedly failed criticisms news media in tweets past year trump said amazon washington post fabricated stories he said amazon pay sales tax true hurts retailers part pattern former businessman reality television host periodically turning ire big american companies since took office january daniel gives research analyst gb insights said trump comment could taken warning retail giant however said concerned amazon we see price hikes future however risk amazon clearly aware building distribution system aggressively said amazon shown interest past shifting delivery service including testing drones deliveries in company spent billion shipping percent total operating expenses year amazon shares percent early afternoon overall stock prices slightly friday parish index president shipmatrix inc analyzes shipping data disputed idea postal service charges less united parcel service inc index corp biggest players parcel delivery business united states many customers get lower rates ups index would get post office comparable services said the postal service delivers percent amazon packages million day current peak holiday shipping season index said the company post office agreement mail carriers take amazon packages last leg journeys post offices customers doorstep amazon no carrier ups percent index third percent according index trump comment tapped debate whether postal service pricing kept pace rise flooded mail small companies like ups long claimed current system unfairly undercut business steve gut spokesman ups noted company values productive relationship postal service filed postal regulatory commission concerns postal service methods covering costs representatives amazon white house postal service index declined comment immediately available comment trump tweet according annual report postal service lost billion year deficit balloon billion while postal service revenue first class mail marketing mail periodicals flat declining revenue package delivery percent since billion fiscal year ended but also lost billion revenue temporary surcharge expired april according government accountability office report february service facing growing personnel expenses particularly billion unfounded pension benefits liabilities the postal service announced plans cut costs by law postal service set prices package delivery cover costs attributable service but postal service allocated percent total costs business shipping packages even though line business percent total revenue politicsnews