Effective August 3, 2026, FedEx will introduce a new inbound processing surcharge for shipments into the European Union. This generally affects shipments transported from a non-EU country to one of the 27 EU member states.
This directly impacts exports from Switzerland. Anyone shipping with FedEx, for example from Basel, Zurich, or Geneva to Germany, France, Italy, or any other EU country, must reckon with this additional surcharge.
On the Swiss FedEx tariff page, the fee is listed at CHF 2.25 per shipment. For shipments using FedEx International Connect Plus, or FICP for short, it is CHF 0.90 per shipment. On the German tariff page, FedEx lists EUR 2.40 and EUR 0.90 respectively.
FedEx calls the fee "Inbound Processing Surcharge." The previous US Inbound Processing Fee will be simultaneously renamed and extended to EU import shipments. Shipments from one EU member state to another EU member state are expressly not affected.
Important for calculation purposes: The surcharge is neither a customs duty nor an import tax. It is charged by FedEx for the costs associated with customs clearance processing. Customs duties, import VAT, a possible flat fee for pre-financed duties, and other customs clearance fees may be charged additionally.
For individual express shipments, the amount remains manageable. However, for regular package volumes, spare parts shipments, or e-commerce traffic, the fee quickly adds up. Shippers and freight forwarders should therefore adjust their tariffs and customer quotes in a timely manner.