Overview of the Latest Price Adjustments for FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL In 2026

FedEx 2026 GRI: 5.9% Average Increase

FedEx has confirmed that, starting January 5, 2026, its average shipping costs for most parcels and import/export services in the United States will increase by 5.9%. Significant changes are also expected in surcharges and size rules.

Surcharges, Fee Changes, and Structural Adjustments:

• Minimum Charge: FedEx's minimum ground charge has increased from $11.32 to $11.99, effectively eliminating the discount for light cargo.
• Residential Surcharge: This surcharge increases by approximately 8.4%, placing a heavier burden on e-commerce and door-to-door delivery shipments.
• Delivery Areas (Remote/Rural Areas): These surcharges will also increase, particularly in postal codes with higher service difficulty.
• Address Correction Fee: Increases from $24 to $25.50 (a 6.25% increase), while inbound processing and packaging fees also see slight increases.

Additional Handling/Oversized/Size Rules: Starting January 12, 2026, the criteria for additional handling dimensions will be expanded to include cubic volume (not just linear measurements). Additional handling surcharge: charged for packages with a volume > 10,368 cubic inches (0.17 m³); Oversized surcharge: charged for packages with a volume > 17,280 cubic inches (0.283 m³) or a weight > 110 lbs. Oversized charges will also be assessed based on volume and weight thresholds. The pricing rules for FedEx's Date Certain Home Delivery, Evening Home Delivery, and Appointment Home Delivery services have changed. The surcharge will now be charged per package, rather than per shipment. This could increase the cost of multi-box orders.

Weight Effect and Distribution: Industry analysis shows that shipping costs for medium-weight (11-20 lbs) packages will increase significantly more than average. Long-haul shipping costs are expected to increase more than the average. For lightweight, short-haul packages, higher minimum charges may offset many negotiated discounts. In other words, while most shippers may only face increases of around 5% to 7%, those shipping to remote areas or using surcharges extensively could see actual increases of 8% to 12%. This is not official FedEx data, but rather a result generally observed in industry models.

UPS 2026 GRI: 5.9% Average Increase

UPS often sets industry standards, and once UPS adjusts its prices, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service usually follow suit with similar pricing structures. UPS's rate adjustment officially took effect on December 22, 2025, earlier than its competitors, just one week before Christmas. The average increase for ground, air, and international services was 5.9%, and the specific adjustments covered both domestic and international service surcharges.

US Domestic Surcharges:

• Additional Handling Fee (by Weight): Zone 2 increased from $43.50 to $46.50, an increase of approximately 6.9%.
• Residential Surcharge: Ground service increased from $6.10 to $6.50, which will have a particularly significant impact on DTC brands, Amazon FBM sellers, and Shopify sellers. Air service increased from $6.55 to $7.00;
• Remote Area Surcharge: Alaska increased from $43.25 to $46.25; Hawaii and the 48 contiguous states increased from $15.35 to $16.50. This severely impacts the transportation of large/oversized items and delivery in rural areas.

International Service Surcharges:

• Additional Handling Fee: Increased from US$34.00 to US$36.35;
• Remote Area Surcharge: Increased from US$57.00 per shipment or US$0.57 per pound to US$60.00 per shipment or US$0.60 per pound;
• Dangerous Goods Handling Fee (Standard Canada Route): Increased from US$64.50 per shipment or US$7.30 per package to US$68.75 per shipment or US$7.80 per package.

USPS 2026 GRI: Differentiated Pricing

Washington—The United States Postal Service (USPS) today submitted a notification to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding price adjustments for its transportation services, effective January 18, 2026. The proposed adjustments have been approved by the USPS Board of Governors.

These adjustments will result in:

• Priority Mail service prices are increasing by approximately 6.6%.
• Priority Mail Express service prices are increasing by approximately 5.1%.
• USPS Ground Advantage service prices are increasing by approximately 7.8%.
• Parcel Select service prices are increasing by approximately 6.0%.

Scope of Adjustment and Exceptions: The adjusted service scope covers Ground Advantage (pure ground parcel), Parcel Select (parcel selection service), Priority Mail, etc.; Priority Mail Express (priority mail express) will maintain its current price.

Pricing Strategy and Price Increases:

Differentiated pricing is adopted: the increase varies significantly depending on the delivery region and package weight. For example, Priority Mail Express packages weighing 26-70 pounds will incur an additional charge of $8.95 for zones 1-4 and $13 for zones 5-9, with a more significant increase in costs for long-distance delivery.

Postal management has consistently viewed parcels (rather than letters) as the best source of stable revenue for the agency. Parcel volume tripled to 6.7 billion in the decade ending in 2023, but this growth slowed last year, according to the United States Postal Service (USPS), with parcel volume projected to decline by 5.7% in 2025. So there's a small piece of good news for consumers: the postal service announced in September that it would not raise stamp prices in January, ending its recent practice of raising prices twice a year. However, for anyone sending parcels, especially small businesses heavily reliant on postal service pricing, costs in 2026 could be even higher.

DHL 2026 GRI: Varies by Country and Region

DHL Express adjusts its prices annually based on inflation, currency fluctuations, and administrative costs associated with regulatory and security measures. These adjustments are regularly updated by national and international bodies in the approximately 220 countries and territories served by DHL Express. The magnitude of price adjustments varies by country. DHL Express has announced that it will increase shipping rates in several countries worldwide in 2026, including the United States and major markets in Europe and Asia.

DHL Express, a leading global provider of international express delivery services, today announced a 5.9% increase in average freight rates for U.S. account holders, effective January 1, 2026. Some services and surcharges will also be adjusted. This increase aligns with FedEx's rate hike next year and is consistent with DHL's rate hikes over the past two years.

In Europe, DHL Express will also raise rates starting January 1, 2026, with an average increase of 4.9% for the UK, France (exports), and Austria; 5.9% for the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain; and 6.9% for Norway.

In Sweden and Denmark, export prices will rise by 4.9%, and import prices by 5.9%. Germany, Italy, Belgium, and some other smaller markets have not yet issued announcements.

In Asia, DHL Express will increase shipping rates to Singapore、Hong Kong, and Macau by an average of 4.9%; to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam by an average of 5.9%; and to India by an average of 6.9%. Rate increases for other major markets have not yet been disclosed or announced. The price of China's international express delivery service will increase by 4.9%.

What measures can you take to mitigate the impact of rising shipping costs?

1、Leverage discounts offered by fulfillment providers

 China Division can negotiate more favorable discounts with international logistics providers, thus providing highly competitive parcel shipping rates to help businesses save on shipping costs. ☞https://www.chinadivision.com/shipping-cost-calculator Apply for a quick shipping rate comparison now to understand your current shipping pricing and how you can start saving.

2、Detailed cost calculation

Closely monitor the latest pricing plans from major international logistics providers through ☞ https://www.chinadivision.com/blog, and calculate your logistics costs for 2026 in advance based on their new rate tables. Don't just look at the base rate; you must include all possible surcharges (residential, remote area, handling fees, etc.) in your cost model. Generally, the longer the transportation distance, the higher the cost. Therefore, establishing new distribution points closer to customers may be an effective strategy for reducing costs.

3、Evaluating logistics fulfillment providers

Generally speaking, land transportation services are more economical, and their transit time is usually comparable to some courier/air freight services. Choose land transportation services whenever possible to save costs. Alternatively, you can choose a professional logistics fulfillment provider ☞https://www.chinadivision.com/fulfillment to determine the most suitable transportation method for you and save costs.

4、Choosing the right packaging size

While FedEx and UPS shipping costs are calculated by weight, that's not all. If the package's volumetric weight exceeds its actual weight, the shipping cost will be calculated based on volumetric weight—meaning you'll pay more. Any extra space inside the package will incur additional charges. Therefore, when packing, ensure there's enough space to accommodate your items and necessary cushioning material without needing extra padding.

Conclusion

The freight rate adjustments made by international logistics giants FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL in 2026 were not merely routine annual changes but reflected a fundamental shift in carrier strategies and market dynamics. Shippers and third-party logistics companies must abandon passive cost-bearing models and adopt proactive strategic adjustments. Most importantly, in today's world, where logistics costs can rise rapidly, leveraging a professional cross-border logistics fulfillment service provider, ChinaDivision ☞https://chinadivision.com/about, can help shippers optimize their freight operations and adjust their logistics models in real time to cope with freight rate fluctuations. While closely monitoring freight rate fluctuations is important, finding the right transportation partner to manage cargo transportation economically and reliably is the real key to success.

FAQs

1、Why have FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL raised their shipping costs?

First, rising labor costs. Second, increased transportation and fuel costs, with fuel surcharge models becoming increasingly volatile and aggressive. Third, competition from Amazon logistics, with airlines shifting resources towards profitability rather than volume. Fourth, infrastructure modernization, with the U.S. Postal Service upgrading sorting centers under the "Delivering to America" program. Fifth, peak season volatility and capacity risks, with increased surcharges helping carriers offset the unpredictable impact of fourth-quarter freight volumes.

2、What does the continued rise in shipping and surcharges mean?

The continued rise in freight and surcharges means logistics professionals need to increase their budgets to cope with these cost increases. Profit margins are likely to be squeezed, especially for bulk cargo transportation, freight forwarding, and last-mile delivery services.

Reference:

1、U.S. Postal Service Recommends New Competitive Prices for 2026

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/1114-usps-recommends-new-competitive-prices-for-2026.htm

2、Mailing packages is about to cost you a lot more next year

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mailing-packages-cost-lot-more-160140408.html

3、DHL Express hikes rates in Europe, USA, and Asia 

https://www.cep-research.com/2025/09/29/dhl-express-hikes-rates-in-europe-us-asia/