UPS will raise its International Air-Export and Air-Import fuel surcharge rates effective May 11, 2026, applying a flat 2.00 percentage point increase on both export and import shipments across every jet fuel price tier. The fuel price bracket structure, tier spacing, and export-import surcharge gap all remain unchanged. The net effect for shippers: a guaranteed cost increase on every UPS international air shipment, with export and import lanes absorbing equal hits.
The May 11 update applies a single uniform increase: both export and import surcharges rise by exactly 2.00 percentage points at every fuel price tier. Export rates move from a range of 36.25%–39.75% to 38.50%–41.50%; import rates move from 40.00%–43.50% to 42.25%–45.25%. The $0.04 fuel price increments and 0.25% surcharge steps between tiers are carried over unchanged. The gap between export and import surcharge rates holds steady at 3.75 percentage points — unlike FedEx's recent update, UPS is not widening the import-export spread. The published table range shifts modestly, starting at $3.67/gal instead of $3.63 and trimming the top end from $4.23 to $4.19, but the extension rule ($0.04 / 0.25% steps for prices outside the published range) ensures coverage at any fuel price level.
This change affects every shipper using UPS international air services, including UPS Worldwide Express Plus, Worldwide Express, Worldwide Saver, Worldwide Expedited, Worldwide Express Freight, Worldwide Express Freight Midday, Worldwide Express NA1, UPS 3 Day Select from Canada, and Express Critical. Because the increase is symmetrical, shippers with balanced inbound/outbound volumes will see a uniform cost impact across lanes. Finance and logistics teams should update cost models and landed-cost calculations before May 11 — any assumptions built on the prior surcharge schedule will understate fuel surcharge exposure on both export and import lanes.
💡 Both export and import surcharges increase by a flat 2.00 percentage points effective May 11, 2026 — no tier is left unchanged and no fuel price scenario exists under which surcharges remain flat or decline.
💡 The import/export surcharge gap holds at 3.75 percentage points, meaning the relative cost difference between inbound and outbound shipments is unchanged — a notable contrast to FedEx, which widened its gap to 4.25 points on the same effective date.
💡 The fuel price tier structure ($0.04 increments) and the 0.25% step between tiers are unchanged — this is purely a rate increase, not a structural overhaul.
💡 Shippers should audit any contracts, rate cards, or landed-cost models benchmarked to the prior surcharge schedule before May 11, and cross-reference against the FedEx increase taking effect on the same date to assess total carrier-level fuel surcharge exposure.
