DHL Express joins rivals FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. in raising freight rates for customers, which begs the question: Is inflation structural in nature rather than “transitory”?
Effective Jan. 1, DHL will increase freight rates by 5.9%, or about the exact rate FedEx announced last week.
“You have general inflation; We’ve got to cover for that,” Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Americas, told WSJ. He said other costs for increasing capacity, such as planes, trucks, and facilities, are becoming more expensive.
DHL Express announced the increase on Friday and said it would apply to U.S. account holders shipping to or from the 220 countries and territories. It was only last week when FedEx and UPS stated they would increase freight rates. Both companies called today’s environment “challenging” as costs rose.
This ultimately means that retailers will have to increase prices as the cost of shipping is only going higher. The cost pressures will force retailers to absorb added costs or pass them along to consumers.
Cathy Roberson, head of research and consulting firm Logistics Trends & Insights LLC, said rising shipping costs could be a nightmare for companies that may have to rethink their logistical fees for customers:
Read More: DHL Joins Rivals FedEx And UPS In Raising Shipping Rates Amid Inflationary Woes
