PHOENIX — Mailing costs are going up for good next year, with the U.S. Postal Service making a temporary fuel surcharge permanent, CBS News reported.
The USPS will convert the 8% surcharge on select postage prices, first introduced in April, into a permanent rate in 2027 and add a 3% price increase, for a combined 11% hike approved by its Board of Governors, according to the agency.
“The USPS governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with much needed revenue,” the agency said. It plans to reevaluate the surcharge in July 2027 based on fuel prices.
Domestic shipping services including Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage will rise an average of 5.9%, and international rates will rise an average of 7.9%, according to the Postal Service.
Diesel averaged $6.10 a gallon nationally Thursday, up from $3.76 a year ago, according to AAA, as the war in Iran drives up oil costs.
The self-funded Postal Service reported a $6.5 billion loss for fiscal 2026, down from $9 billion the year before, CBS News reported.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Alexander Marks (aomarks) / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
