Postman Marc Jacques delivers mail in a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, on March 19, 2026.
Joe Radle | Getty Images
United States Postal Service To combat soaring transportation costs, including soaring oil prices due to the Iran war, the country announced on Wednesday that it would temporarily impose an 8% fuel surcharge on parcels and express mail deliveries.
The Postal Service said in a notice on its website that, if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the surcharges will go into effect April 26 and remain in place until January 17, 2027.
An 8% surcharge applies to postage for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select products. First class stamps and other postal services are not affected.
Oil prices have risen more than 40% since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
The two largest package carriers, FedEx and UPS, have been charging fuel surcharges on deliveries for years. These fees have risen sharply since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, sending oil prices up more than 40%.
“This temporary price adjustment will provide the Postal Service with needed flexibility by helping ensure that the actual costs of doing business are covered as required by Congress,” the Postal Service said in a statement.
“Transportation costs are rising, and our competitors are responding by imposing a number of surcharges,” the notice states.
“We steadfastly avoid surcharges, which are less than a third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone. So even with this change, the Postal Service continues to offer great value in shipping at some of the lowest rates in the developed world.”
CNBC reached out to the Postal Regulatory Commission for comment on the Postal Service’s request.
