USPS Adjusts Shipping Rates and Rules Starting July 12
The United States Postal Service (USPS) implemented a new shipping rate adjustment on July 12, focusing on lightweight but larger packages. The DIM (dimensional weight) divisor has been reduced from 166 to 139, resulting in increased billing weights. Additionally, USPS introduced a handling fee for hazardous materials and penalties for non-compliant packaging, requiring sellers to recalculate shipping costs.
What are the key facts?
- 1Effective date: July 12, 2026
- 2DIM divisor decreased from 166 to 139
- 3Introduced hazardous materials and non-compliant packaging fees
What happened?
As of July 12, 2026, USPS adjusted competitive service rates. Key changes include a decrease in the DIM divisor from 166 to 139, with measurement values rounded up, leading to increased shipping costs for large lightweight packages. A $7.50 handling fee is now charged for hazardous material packages, and a $50 penalty is applied for non-compliant packaging.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Shipping costs have significantly increased; sellers should immediately optimize packaging sizes to avoid excess shipping charges due to changes in dimensional weight calculations, and strictly adhere to hazardous materials declaration regulations.