DHL Express will overhaul its fuel surcharge program effective April 1, 2026, introducing a new jet fuel index table that raises surcharge percentages by approximately 2 percentage points at every price bracket and extends the ceiling from $3.07 to $4.51 per gallon. Starting April 13, surcharge updates will also shift from monthly to weekly. The net effect for shippers: higher baseline fuel costs on every DHL Express shipment and significantly more invoice variability going forward.
The new table is structurally more expensive than the one it replaces. In the overlapping range ($1.91–$3.07/gal), export and import surcharges both increase by roughly 2 pp at every bracket—meaning shippers will pay more even if fuel prices return to pre-crisis levels. The expanded ceiling accommodates fuel prices up to $4.51/gal, where surcharges will reach 39.75% on exports and 43.50% on imports. Weekly updates, driven by the Strait of Hormuz volatility, will allow surcharges to ratchet up or down much faster than the prior monthly cadence. The underlying calculation method—a rolling DOE average of US Gulf Coast jet fuel spot prices—is unchanged, but the lookup table it feeds into will be permanently more expensive. DHL has reserved the right to change the index and table again without notice.
This will affect every DHL Express shipment across all service levels. Shippers with contractual fuel caps or discount structures tied to the old index should review those agreements before April 1—the new table will erode negotiated savings if caps were benchmarked against the prior schedule. The weekly cadence will create week-to-week surcharge swings within single billing cycles, adding reconciliation complexity for finance and procurement teams. High-volume international shippers will feel this most acutely since the surcharge applies not just to transportation charges but also to remote area, overweight, oversize, demand, and other ancillary surcharges.
💡 The new index table is ~2 pp more expensive at every overlapping bracket—this is a permanent structural increase, not a temporary spike.
💡 The expanded ceiling means surcharges can now approach 40% export / 43.5% import in a severe fuel scenario.
💡 Weekly updates replace monthly, increasing invoice variability and complicating cost forecasting.
💡 Shippers should audit contractual fuel caps and discount structures before April 1 to understand exposure under the new table.
💡 Geopolitical conditions remain fragile—shippers should model at current elevated prices, not assume a near-term correction.
