Effective March 22, 2026, UPS revised its surge fee structure for shipments between the United States and certain Middle East countries. UPS newly separated the United Arab Emirates from the broader Middle East grouping and placed it with Israel under a $1.50 per lb. surcharge in both directions. For the remaining Middle East countries, UPS increased the pre-existing surcharge from $0.64 per lb. to $1.34 per lb. UPS retained the pre-existing Israel surcharge level, and the covered service set does not appear to change.
The most significant update is the addition of the United Arab Emirates to the higher-priced Israel surcharge tier. That means UAE shipments no longer fall under the broader Middle East surcharge framework and instead are assessed at $1.50 per lb. for U.S.-outbound and inbound-to-U.S. traffic. UPS also increased the surcharge on the remaining Middle East countries by $0.70 per lb., raising that fee from $0.64 per lb. to $1.34 per lb. These changes modify the existing surge fee framework rather than replace it: Israel already had a $1.50 per lb. surcharge, the broader Middle East surcharge already existed, and the March 22 revision primarily changes country scope and price levels.
Shippers should expect a meaningful cost increase on shipments between the United States and the United Arab Emirates beginning March 22, 2026. UAE traffic effectively moves from the prior Middle East surcharge of $0.64 per lb. to the new Israel/UAE surcharge of $1.50 per lb., increasing the fee by $0.86 per lb. Shippers moving freight between the United States and the other listed Middle East countries should also expect higher costs, as the surcharge rises from $0.64 per lb. to $1.34 per lb. Because the affected service applicability appears unchanged, the primary impact is increased transportation cost rather than an operational or service-level change.
💡 Effective March 22, 2026, UPS moved the United Arab Emirates out of the general Middle East surge fee group.
💡 UAE is now grouped with Israel under a $1.50 per lb. surcharge for shipments between the United States and those countries.
💡 The broader Middle East surge fee increased from $0.64 per lb. to $1.34 per lb.
💡 Israel’s $1.50 per lb. surcharge is not new; the new development is the addition of UAE to that same tier.
💡 UAE is no longer included in the broader Middle East country list tied to the general regional surcharge.
💡 The March 22 update appears to change pricing and geographic scope, but not the covered UPS service set.
