The Rising Fuel Costs Hit Amazon: A 3.5% Surcharge Starts in the USA and Canada

In recent hours, Amazon has decided to move a crucial piece in managing its immense logistics machine. With a communication that is already sparking discussions among industry operators, the Seattle giant announced the introduction of a "Fuel and Inflation Surcharge" of 3.5%, aimed at third-party sellers relying on the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service.

This measure, which will initially affect the markets of the United States and Canada, represents a turning point in the tariff policies of the company led by Andy Jassy. Historically, Amazon has always sought to absorb operational costs to keep the ecosystem as competitive as possible, but the current combination of unstable crude oil prices and inflation biting into profit margins has made a direct intervention on handling tariffs inevitable.

Starting from April 17, 2026, a 3.5% surcharge for fuel and logistics costs will be applied to order fulfillment fees for the Amazon Logistics service (FBA) in the United States and Canada, as well as for the remote logistics service with FBA from the United States to Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Beginning May 2, 2026, this surcharge will also take effect for the Buy with Prime service in the United States and for the Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) service in the United States and Canada. Thanks to the work already done together to reduce costs, this surcharge is significantly lower than that applied by other major carriers, as noted in Amazon's official statement.

Amazon has officially announced the 3.5% Fuel Surcharge: let’s clarify the situation.

The heart of the matter lies in the management of the last mile and large distribution centers. Despite massive investments in automation and fleet electrification (with the famous partnership with Rivian), most of Amazon's global logistics still heavily depends on fossil fuels. Compared to 2024 and 2025, transportation costs have significantly risen, and the company has emphasized that it is no longer possible to manage such increases without contributions from commercial partners.

This is not the first time Amazon has introduced temporary surcharges, but the nature of this 3.5% surcharge appears more structural than temporary. Sellers using FBA – that is, those who delegate storage, packaging, and shipping to Amazon – will therefore see their margins further reduced.

To give a concrete dimension to the measure, Amazon clarified that the surcharge will be calculated exclusively on the fulfillment fees and not on the final selling price of the product. According to estimates from the Seattle giant, the average impact for FBA products in the United States will be about $0.17 per unit, although the figure will fluctuate based on the weight and size of the package.

The Impact on Consumers and Sellers

The question many analysts are asking relates to the cascading effect on final prices. For third-party sellers, who now represent over half of the units sold on the platform, the margin for maneuver is limited: absorbing the cost means reducing profits, while passing it on to the selling price could slow down demand at a time of reduced consumption.

Although for now the notification concerns North America, it is not ruled out that similar measures could land in Europe and Italy in the coming months. The energy crisis knows no boundaries, and the costs of diesel and electricity for warehouses are also hot topics in the Old Continent.