UPS to introduce surge fee for US-Canada shipments

UPS is set to enforce a new surcharge on US to Canada shipments later this week, with economy, standard and express services all affected, as the carrier gears up for a potential Canada Post strike next week.

The new Surge Fee will be implemented on May 18, with the price varying by service, according to a company online post.

The introduction of the fee comes just four days before a collective agreement between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) expires. If an agreement isn’t reached by May 22, then more than 55,000 postal workers could strike, disrupting the parcel market and putting pressure on other carriers.

Surge fee details