Canada Post is proposing an increase to postage rates in 2016 as mail volumes continue to decline across the country.

The federal agency wants to increase the postage rate for domestic lettermail weighing 30 grams or less from the current rate of $0.85 to $0.90 cents when purchased in batches. The price of a single stamp would remain at $1.

The rate change would take effect on Jan. 11, 2016, replacing current rates that have been in effect for more than a year.

In a statement announcing the rate hike proposal, Canada Post said a continued decline in lettermail volume over the past decade has had a “significant impact” on the agency’s financial situation.

Last year, postal workers delivered 1.4 billion fewer pieces of mail across the country than in 2006.

“Some of the biggest declines have occurred in 2015, accelerating the erosion of Canada Post’s core business,” the statement said. “As mail volumes fall, the number of addresses served also rises every year, affecting Canada Post’s cost of doing business.”

Those aren’t the only changes Canada Post is pursuing. The agency seeks to increase rates for:

  • Other domestic lettermail
  • U.S. and international letter items
  • Domestic registered mail

Canada Post said the new rates, if approved, would “help achieve its long-standing mandate of remaining financially self-sufficient.”

In late 2013, Canada Post announced a five-point action plan to “preserve” postal service in Canada. It included a new tiered pricing structure for lettermail delivered within Canada.