5th October 2026 - 3 min read
On 28 September 2026, DHL announced an average price increase of 5.9% in Malaysia, which takes effect on 1 January 2027. DHL says the increase is due to inflation, currency movements and higher energy and labour costs.
If you ship with DHL regularly, this is the third yearly increase in a row. DHL raised its Malaysian rates by an average of 6.9% in 2025 and by 5.9% in 2026. Taken together, a shipment that cost RM100 in 2024 will cost around RM120 in 2027.
| Year | Average Increase | Cost Of An RM100 Shipment From 2024 |
| 2025 | 6.9% | RM106.90 |
| 2026 | 5.9% | RM113.21 |
| 2027 | 5.9% | RM119.89 |
Do note that these are averages. DHL hasn’t said how the 2027 increase splits by destination, parcel weight or service, so the change on the route you use most could be higher or lower than 5.9%. Surcharges such as fuel and remote area delivery are charged on top of shipping prices and listed on DHL Malaysia’s surcharges page, so check those as well as the base rate.
The fuel surcharge is already part of what you pay today, and DHL changes it every week. It’s 48% for the week of 5 October 2026, up from 43.75% in mid-September, and goes up to 49% from 12 October. If you only send a parcel to family abroad once in a while, the 5.9% increase works out to about RM9 more on a RM150 shipment.
The increase adds up faster if you run a business that ships overseas every week. If your business spends RM2,000 a month on DHL Express, a 5.9% increase adds RM118 a month, or RM1,416 for the whole of 2027.
Pos Malaysia has been charging fuel surcharges on domestic and international parcels since 18 March 2026. It reviews the rate every Friday. If you use both couriers, you’ll be paying more on both from January.
If you have a non-urgent overseas parcel to send anyway, sending it before 1 January means it goes out at 2026 prices.
If you have a DHL business account, ask your account manager how the increase applies to your agreed rates. Once the new rates are live, run quotes for your usual routes on DHL’s site and compare them with what you paid this year.
Then look at what you charge your customers for shipping. If your listed shipping fee was set a year or two ago, it may no longer cover what DHL charges you. For orders where speed matters less, Pos Malaysia’s slower international services, such as Small Packet and Air Parcel, may cost you less than express shipping. If you run a small business, our SME section covers financing and government support that can help with rising costs.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for the latest money tips and updates.
Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.
Comments (0)