For international express shipments from mainland China to Europe and the United States, surcharges will increase significantly in late September: FedEx will implement a new demand surcharge starting September 21, 2026, and UPS will adjust its peak-season emergency service fees starting September 27. Both companies will also charge a per-item demand surcharge for eligible non-standard packages.
For example, for a shipment to the United States with a chargeable weight of 100 kg, FedEx International Priority service will charge an additional 850 yuan, and UPS will charge an additional 930 yuan. The above comparison only considers the weight-based surcharges, not the overall freight increase, and does not include other charges such as fuel surcharges.
FedEx: Effective September 21
The following are the export rates for mainland China, all in RMB/kg. The old rates were valid from September 2nd to 20th, and the new rates will take effect on September 21st.
| Destination and Services | Before adjustment | After adjustment | Change per kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and the Latin American regions listed in the original table: International Priority Service | 5.4 | 13.9 | +8.5 |
| The above-mentioned destinations: International Economic Services | 4.0 | 8.4 | +4.4 |
| Europe, Israel | 8.0 | 12.5 | +4.5 |
| Australia and New Zealand | 2.1 | 3.5 | +1.4 |
| India | 0 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| Japan, Guam | 2.1 | 2.1 | constant |
| Malaysia | 1.3 | 1.3 | constant |
| Vietnam | 0 | 0 | constant |
| MEISA Group 1 | 11.2 | 11.2 | constant |
| MEISA Group 2 | 17.4 | 17.4 | constant |
In the new table, Fiji is listed at 3.5 yuan/kg. For other Asian destinations not listed separately, please refer to the zoning within the table. For the country ranges of Europe, Latin America, and MEISA, please refer to the footnotes in the official documents; do not select regions solely based on geographical names.
International priority services include IP, IPE, etc., and FICP is also included in priority services in this rate table; international economic services include IE, IEF, etc. The FedEx document separately states a minimum fee of 1.80 yuan per shipment, but the actual applicable amount is also related to account rates and agreements.
Effective from the same date, international parcels that qualify for additional handling (size, weight, or packaging), oversized shipments, or non-standard shipments will incur a surcharge of 34.8 yuan per parcel. This fee is charged in addition to other applicable fees and is not applicable to all regular parcels. Whether a shipment triggers the conditions will be determined according to FedEx surcharge rules and the actual packaging.
UPS: Effective September 27, with a significant increase in shipments to Europe and the United States.
The new UPS schedule is valid from September 27, 2026 to February 6, 2027. Below is a comparison of export rates originating from mainland China, in RMB/kg, charged based on the billable weight.
| destination | Current rates on or before September 26 | Starting from September 27th | Change per kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States and other Americas destinations listed in the original table | 5.60 | 14.90 | +9.30 |
| Europe's original regional destinations | 3.70 | 12.70 | +9.00 |
| Australia and New Zealand | 0.75 | 3.70 | +2.95 |
| The destinations listed in the Asia-Pacific original table do not include Australia and New Zealand. | 0.75 | 0.70 | -0.05 |
| United Arab Emirates | 24.60 | 12.70 | -11.90 |
| Israel | 24.60 | 12.70 | -11.90 |
| Destinations listed in the Middle East group of the old table | 22.02 | 12.70 | -9.32 |
UPS has also adjusted its shipping zones: Israel is now in the new European group, and the UAE is in the Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa group. Prices have decreased for some Middle Eastern destinations, so this cannot be interpreted as a general price increase. Other destinations should be checked against the official list.
For import/export parcels that qualify for additional handling fees, are large parcels, or exceed the size limits, there are additional demand surcharges of RMB 13.40, RMB 47.00, and RMB 1,492.90 per parcel, respectively. These are additional charges and not part of the total price of the relevant regular surcharges. UPS clarifies that these charges, as well as the aforementioned per-kg charges, are subject to the fuel surcharge; when multiple charges are triggered for the same parcel, the applicable terms will apply.
Calculate the two types of fees separately when quoting.
For a shipment of 100 kg to the United States, let's look at this weight-based charge:
| Serve | Before adjustment | After adjustment | Increase amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx International Priority Service | 540 yuan | 1,390 yuan | 850 yuan |
| FedEx International Economic Services | 400 yuan | 840 yuan | 440 yuan |
| UPS Applicable Export Services | 560 yuan | 1,490 yuan | 930 yuan |
For example, the 930 yuan difference for UPS also needs to consider fuel surcharges: If this is just for demonstration purposes and we assume the fuel rate is 30%, this increase would be 930 × 1.30 = 1,209 yuan. 30% is not the current quoted rate; you should check the corresponding channel's rates when shipping.Fuel Surcharge.
The per-item charge depends on the packaging conditions and the number of packages. For 10 packages all subject to FedEx's $34.80 standard, the total cost would be $348, and cannot be calculated by multiplying the total weight of the shipment by $34.80.
Reconfirm the quotation and packaging before shipment.
For orders already quoted at the old rates and scheduled for delivery after the effective date, it is recommended to recalculate the price and confirm the actual execution date of the shipping channel. The destination, service type, number of pieces, actual weight per piece, and dimensions (length, width, and height) after packaging are required to clarify the cost per kilogram and per piece.
The UPS adjustments from September 20th to 26th in the document pertain to imports and cannot be directly used to calculate exports to mainland China. Shipments via Hong Kong and other regions should also be calculated separately based on the actual place of origin and account terms.
You can use CZL first.Freight Inquiry,Additional Fee InquiryandRemote address searchUse the tools to contact CZL to confirm the full shipment quote. This article compiles publicly available rates from carriers; actual costs are subject to the valid quote and applicable terms of the selected channel.
Information source
This article verifies the submitted "Summary Table of FedEx and UPS Surcharge Adjustments" and the following official documents. The verification date is September 17, 2026:
- FedEx China Demand Surcharge PageThe page indicates that it was last updated on September 4, 2026.
- FedEx Fee Schedule Starting September 21andRate table from September 2nd to 20th.
- FedEx Non-Standard Shipment Demand Surcharge.
- UPS Peak-Hour Emergency Service Fee and Demand SurchargeThe document was last updated on September 15, 2026; export comparisons are on pages 5 and 6, and per-piece charges are on page 7.
