A war halfway around the world is about to make your Amazon orders more expensive. Amazon has announced a 3.5% “fuel and logistics-related surcharge” on seller fees. It applies to third-party sellers who use Amazon’s fulfillment services in the US and Canada.
According to CNBC, the surcharge kicks in on April 17, and while it’s technically a fee on sellers, not shoppers. But there’s a very good chance you’ll end up paying for it anyway.
Why oil prices are surging and how the Iran war is driving this
Oil prices have been climbing due to the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, disrupting supply expectations and pushing prices even further. Before the conflict, crude oil was trading below $60 per barrel. It has now been consistently above 100 for over a week.
What the surcharge means for sellers and why your expenses could go up
Amazon says it has been absorbing these elevated costs so far, but the math no longer works in its favor. The new surcharge averages out to about 17 cents per unit for shipments handled through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) – Amazon’s widely used service that manages picking, packing, and shipping for the majority of its roughly 2 million third-party sellers.
Amazon spokesperson Ashley Vanicek said the surcharge is “meaningfully lower” than what other major carriers are charging. And yes, UPS, FedEx, and even the US Postal Service have all imposed their own fuel surcharges since the war began. Some airlines have started adding fuel surcharges on longer-haul flights too.
The surcharge is aimed at sellers, not shoppers directly. But as seen last year when tariffs hit, sellers tend to pass those extra costs straight to the customer through higher prices.
Rising chip tariffs could also make your next PC upgrade more expensive and impact electronics prices overall. If the conflict in the Middle East drags on, your Amazon cart total could quietly keep climbing.