The United States Postal Service (USPS) has requested approval for a temporary 8% price hike for priority mail and package deliveries as transport prices continue to soar.
If approved by the , the price hike would last from 26 April until 17 January 2027, according to USPS.
“While this price increase is a time-limited adjustment, it will provide a necessary bridge to a permanent mechanism to reflect market conditions in prices for competitive products that can support the Postal Service’s ability to achieve the universal service obligation in a more financially sustainable manner going forward,” USPS said in a statement.
The surcharge would apply to postage on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select products.
First-class stamps and other mail services would not be affected.
This comes as oil prices have jumped more than 40% since Iran started the war on 28 February after strikes from the U.S. and Israel on the Middle Eastern country.
Other major package shippers, like FedEx and UPS, have imposed fuel surcharges on deliveries, and these have only risen since the start of the war.
“We have steadfastly avoided surcharges and this charge is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone, so even with this change, the Postal Service continues to offer great value in shipping with some of the lowest rates in the industrialised world,” USPS said.
The rise in oil prices comes as the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil is shipped, was closed as a result of the war.
The surcharge announcement also comes as Postmaster General David Steiner said the agency could run out of cash by the end of the year.
