Amazon adds fuel, logistics charge amid Iran war

The online shopping giant planned to enact an additional 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on products from third-party sellers as fuel prices continue to rise amid the war in Iran. Operating costs rose throughout the industry, and the company has so far absorbed the increased costs, according to a Thursday statement.

A temporary surcharge will be implemented on fulfillment fees in about two weeks to try to recover a portion of the actual cost, the company said. The surcharge cost will be calculated from the fulfillment fees, not on the sale price of an item, and will vary based on an item’s size. Amazon characterized the surcharge as significantly lower than that of other major carriers.

Is this becoming normalized? The U.S. Postal Service planned to enact an 8% increase on base postage prices beginning April 26 through January 2027, according to a company statement released last week. USPS also cited rising transportation costs and insisted its surcharge was less than a third of its competitors. FedEx and the United Parcel Service updated their respective international fuel surcharges at the beginning of March, according to their websites.