UPS was the final carrier to announce its 2025-26 peak season pricing. Less than a month later, it has added new fees for the holiday season. Shippers and shoppers alike are scrambling to understand new tariffs on imported goods, and in the midst of the confusion, UPS is adding surcharges on imports and exports during the peak holiday shipping season.

New UPS Import and Export Surge Fee

On August 28, UPS announced additional handling, over maximum and large package surcharges for US import and export shipments shipped between September 28, 2025, and January 17, 2026.

A new surge pricing policy, announced on September 17, will impact shipments originating in certain European countries, Canada, India, and Israel, as well as those being exported from the US to all destinations.

Here’s what shippers can expect:

Exports

●       UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Express Saver, UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Expedited, UPS Worldwide Express Freight to all destinations (except Israel) and UPS Standard to Canada and Mexico: $0.20 per pound from October 26, 2025, to January 17, 2026
●       UPS Worldwide Economy DDU & DDP to all countries (except Israel): $0.20 per pound from October 26 to November 22, 2025, and December 28, 2025, to January 17, 2026; $0.50 per pound from November 23 to December 27, 2025

Imports

●       Shipments from India to the US via UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Express Saver, UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Expedited, UPS Worldwide Saver Pallet, UPS Express Freight Time of Day will incur a $0.47 per pound fee from September 28, 2025, to January 17, 2026
●       Shipments from Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden to the US using the same services mentioned above will incur a $0.23 per pound fee from September 28, 2025, to January 17, 2026
●       Shipments from Canada to the US via UPS Standard - Residential Surcharge  will incur a $0.52 per parcel fee from October 26, 2025, to January 17, 2026

Israel

The $0.29 per pound surge fee for all shipments to and from Israel via UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Saver, UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Expedited, and UPS Worldwide Express Freight, effective June 29, 2025, will remain active until further notice.

How to Save on International Imports and Exports

The surge fee announcement contains this footnote: “UPS reserves the right to adjust Surge Fees at any time in its sole discretion. No waiver, discount or reduction of any type to the Surge Fee shall apply unless and until UPS agrees in writing to such waiver, discount or reduction with specific written reference to the Surge Fee.”

To quote 1994’s hit comedy, Dumb and Dumber, “So you're telling me there's a chance.”

Contact ShipRx today to learn how we can help you optimize your UPS contract negotiations to maximize waivers, discounts, and reductions on surge fees. Whether you’re sending parcels halfway around the world or right down the street, ShipRx can help you spend less on shipping.