USPS to start weekly fuel surcharge on package shipping in 2027

The U.S. Postal Service announced it will begin charging a fuel surcharge on several package shipping services starting in January 2027, Supply Chain Dive reported.

This surcharge will apply to USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select shipments, and will be calculated as a percentage of the base postage amount, based on weekly diesel and jet fuel prices from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Postal Service said shippers will receive updates electronically on the surcharge percentages and effective dates, and historical data will be made publicly available.

This move aligns USPS pricing practices more closely with FedEx and UPS, which already impose fuel surcharges based on fuel costs. Rising fuel prices in 2026, influenced by geopolitical events, have increased delivery costs industry-wide.

In April, USPS implemented an 8% price increase on several services through January 2027 to address transportation cost surges, describing it as less than one-third of competitors' fuel charges and a step toward a sustainable pricing model.