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FedEx surcharges for Australian businesses shipping to the United States changed on 5 January 2026, with further changes to the Customs Clearance Disbursement Fee from 20 July 2026.
Each fee applies per shipment. The changes cover the US Inbound Processing Fee and the ODA and OPA surcharges, so a business exporting to the US through FedEx now pays more on every affected booking.
Understanding the new AUD figures and effective dates allows businesses to budget for recurring shipping charges before their next FedEx shipment.
Couriers & Freight lists FedEx's current rates alongside other carrier options for US shipments.
The table below summarises the confirmed FedEx surcharge changes affecting shipments into the United States in 2026. Where FedEx publishes fees in US dollars, the amounts have been converted to Australian dollars using the exchange rate noted below:
For more information about exchange rates used in international trade, see the Reserve Bank of Australia's exchange rate publications.
The US Inbound Processing Fee increased from AUD 4.10 to AUD 4.40 per shipment on 5 January 2026.
FedEx applies this fee to eligible shipments destined for the United States to support customs clearance processing. The surcharge also applies to shipments destined for European Union member states, although this article focuses on US-bound shipments.
FedEx International Connect Plus shipments remain exempt from the US Inbound Processing Fee. Businesses using FedEx International Connect Plus avoid this surcharge, unlike eligible FedEx Export and ImportOne services.
FedEx also revised its postcode-based ODA and OPA surcharges from 5 January 2026. These charges apply when a pickup or delivery location falls outside FedEx's designated service areas.
For OPA shipments, Tier B increased from AUD 29.40 to AUD 33.80 per shipment, or AUD 1.00 per kilogram, whichever is greater. Tier C increased from AUD 38.20 to AUD 43.90 per shipment, or AUD 1.30 per kilogram, whichever is greater.
For ODA shipments, Tier A remains AUD 4.70 per shipment. Tier B increased to AUD 33.80 per shipment, or AUD 1.00 per kilogram, while Tier C increased to AUD 43.90 per shipment, or AUD 1.30 per kilogram, whichever is greater.
FedEx does not apply ODA or OPA surcharges to FedEx 10kg Box or FedEx 25kg Box shipments. In addition, the Residential Delivery Surcharge does not apply when an ODA surcharge has already been charged for the same shipment.
Alongside the January surcharge updates, FedEx also introduced changes to its Customs Clearance Disbursement Fee from 20 July 2026.
FedEx applies this fee when it advances duties, taxes or other regulatory charges to the relevant customs authority on the payer's behalf so the shipment can clear customs, as detailed in FedEx's July 2026 customs clearance surcharge notice.
For shipments into the United States, the minimum fee increased from the greater of USD 15.00 or 2% of the duty and tax amount to the greater of USD 17.50 or 2.5%, effective 20 July 2026. Using the exchange rate adopted for this article, this equates to approximately AUD 25.17. FedEx calculates the final Australian dollar amount using the exchange rate applied at the time of invoicing.
Australian businesses importing goods from US suppliers should confirm which party is responsible for duties and taxes before shipment, as the disbursement fee is charged to the payer responsible for those customs charges.
Businesses can also refer to the US Customs and Border Protection guidance on duties and import procedures before arranging international shipments.
Even modest surcharge increases can add up when businesses import regularly from US suppliers.
For example, importing ten similar shipments in a month could add more than AUD 730 in surcharge costs before freight, duties and taxes are included.
For businesses that import inventory weekly or monthly, these surcharges become an ongoing operating expense rather than a one-off cost. Even relatively small fee increases can have a measurable impact when spread across dozens or hundreds of shipments each year. Reviewing shipping budgets and confirming applicable surcharges before dispatch can improve landed cost forecasting.
Understanding when ODA, OPA and processing fees apply also reduces the risk of unexpected charges on future FedEx shipments.
Once you understand how the latest FedEx surcharges affect your shipping costs, the next step is comparing the total shipping cost with other available carrier options. A business importing products from the United States pays the US Inbound Processing Fee, ODA or OPA surcharges and customs-related charges on every affected shipment. Together, these charges change the total cost of using one carrier.
Couriers & Freight gives businesses access to multiple domestic and international carriers, making it easier to compare available services before booking a FedEx shipment.
The right option depends on matching total shipping cost, transit time and service tier to your shipment requirements and budget.
Compare FedEx's current rates against other carrier options with Couriers & Freight before booking your next shipment.
MHP
No Surcharge*
$16.50
$14
$15.50
$0
$15.50
$14.75
$0
$0
$0
$0
MHP Large Item
No Surcharge*
$16.50
$75
$62
$62
$60.10
$14.75
$0
$0
$0
$0
Residential Pickup
No Surcharge*
$6
$0
$9
--
$9
$10.60
$0
$0
$0
$38.50
Reidential pick up 30-99kgs
No Surcharge*
$63
$0
$9
$0
$9
$74.15
$20
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential pick up 100kgs+
No Surcharge*
$198
$0
$9
$0
$9
$158.87
$50
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential Delivery up to 29kgs
No Surcharge*
$6
$0
$9
--
$9.00
$10.60
$0
$0
$0
$38.50
Residential Delivery up 30-99kgs
No Surcharge*
$63
$0
$9
$0
$9
$74.15
$20
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Residential Delivery 100kgs+
No Surcharge*
$198
$0
$9
--
$9
$158.57
$50
Won't carry
Won't carry
$38.50
Tail Lift Pick up 50-99kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$45
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 100-299kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$85
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 300-499kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$120
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Pick up 500kgs + Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$250
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 50-99kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$45
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 100-299kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$85
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery300-499kgs Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$120
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Tail Lift Delivery 500kgs + Sydney / Melbourne
No Surcharge*
$250
$50-$250
$88
$88
$88
$44.07
$120
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Dead weight over 32KGS carton freight
No Surcharge*
$16.50
$75
$70
$70
$70
$14.75
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.20 - 1.54
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$0
$0
$0
$5.40
$10
$15
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.55 - 1.85
No Surcharge*
$17
$20
$0
$0
$0
$11.93
$10
$15
Won't carry
$0
Oversize Surcharge 1.86 - 2.20
No Surcharge*
$37
$40
$0
$0
$0
$11.93
$10
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Pallet Surcharge
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$0
Hand Unload Fee Carton
No Surcharge*
--
$0
$70
$70
$70
$47
$0
Won't carry
Won't carry
$61.50
Western Australia Regional Surcharge
No Surcharge*
%10
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
*Surcharges may apply to areas/deimensions not listed
**Prices correct of 16th September 2024
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