Temporary Fuel Surcharge FAQ
Here at decent, we value transparency and want to keep you informed of any potential upcoming pricing changes.
Like many businesses, we’ve been closely monitoring the ongoing volatility in global fuel markets driven by geopolitical instability in the Middle East.
Over recent months, this has led to continued increases in international fuel and freight costs, putting pressure on logistics networks globally.
We’ve worked hard to absorb these rising costs for as long as possible. However, we are no longer able to absorb these additional freight costs without impacting the sustainability of our operations and service levels.
As a result, we are introducing a temporary fuel levy from the 4th June 2026. The levy will be charged on a per-carton basis.
How has the per carton levy been calculated?
Our fuel surcharge is calculated based on increased transport and freight costs across the full supply chain, including:
- Inbound container freight costs from factory to port
- Port-to-warehouse transport and handling increases
- Delivery from our warehouse to customers via third-party transport and courier partners
The surcharge helps offset some of these rising logistics costs, which continue to fluctuate in line with global fuel markets and freight conditions. We have not included raw material increases we are facing in this surcharge. We will regularly review these costs regularly and aim to keep any surcharge as low as possible while continuing to absorb a significant share of wider increases as a business.
I ordered and paid for stock before the global fuel crisis started, how come I am now being charged?
We understand this may feel confusing, particularly where stock was ordered prior to the recent escalation in global fuel costs.
This consideration would only apply to the ocean freight portion of the surcharge. However, we are continuing to see increased costs across other areas of the supply chain, including raw material increases, port-to-warehouse transport and delivery from our warehouse to customers via third-party courier partners.
Importantly, we have committed to removing the surcharge once overseas market conditions stabilise, even if some of the stock being sold in the future was originally impacted by the fuel increases. Our intention is not to permanently increase pricing, but to fairly manage a temporary period of volatility in global logistics costs.
Why is no one else applying a fuel surcharge?
We understand that not all suppliers are presenting these costs in the same way. While some businesses may not apply a separate fuel surcharge line, many have instead implemented broader price increases across their product ranges to absorb rising freight and logistics costs.
We’ve intentionally chosen a temporary and transparent surcharge model rather than implementing a permanent blanket price rise across all products. This allows us to more clearly reflect the specific external cost pressures impacting the market, while also providing the flexibility to remove the surcharge once conditions stabilise.
We are continuing to review market conditions closely alongside our distribution and freight partners to ensure the approach remains fair and proportionate.
Are you making margin from the surcharge?
No, the surcharge is not to generate additional margin. It is intended to partially offset the significant increases we’ve seen across freight and transport costs so we can continue providing you with a high level of service.
In fact, we are still absorbing a portion of these increases as a business rather than passing through the full cost impact to customers.
Are you applying the surcharge equally across all customers?
Yes, all customers have the same surcharge.
Still need help?
Drop us a line at hello@decentpackaging.co.nz or simply contact your account manager.