Amazon Imposes 3.5% Fuel and Logistics Surcharge on Sellers Amid Iran War

(SeaPRwire) –   Amazon will impose a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on third-party sellers using its platform starting later this month, following a sharp rise in fuel prices since the start of the Iran war.

The e-commerce giant confirmed to The Associated Press in an email sent Thursday that this temporary fee will take effect on April 17 for many sellers who use Amazon’s fulfillment services.

“Rising fuel and logistics costs have increased operational expenses across the industry,” Amazon said in its emailed statement.

The Seattle-based company explained that it has absorbed these cost increases so far, but similar to other major carriers, it will implement temporary surcharges to partially recoup these expenses when costs remain elevated. It noted that this charge is “meaningfully” lower than the surcharges imposed by other major carriers.

“We remain committed to our selling partners’ success and to maintaining a wide selection of products and low prices for customers,” Amazon added.

Amazon’s fuel and logistics-related surcharge will apply to U.S. and Canadian sellers using its Fulfillment by Amazon program. Starting May 2, the surcharge will go into effect for sellers using the Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment options.

Amazon is joining a growing list of carriers implementing surcharges to recoup rising energy costs as the Iran war drags on.

United Parcel Service and FedEx have raised their fuel surcharges. The United States Postal Service announced last week that it will impose an 8% fuel surcharge for shipped packages starting April 26. The agency noted that this surcharge will remain in place until January 17, 2027.