Canada carrier fee guide
DHL Express Canada Additional Charges & Surcharges
Compare published 2026 handling, remote-area, security, dangerous-goods, data-correction, and fuel surcharges for DHL Express shipments. Coverage includes USA-bound and other international shipments originating in Canada.
Read the fee before the fine print
See the fee, billing unit, and trigger before you ship
DHL Express publishes surcharges by shipment, piece, pallet, weight, and service condition. This FreightXO chart keeps those assessment units visible and condenses the conditions most useful to working shippers. It is a reference guide, not a DHL quote or invoice calculation.
DHL marks the other-surcharge schedule as updated December 1, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026.
DHL updates the International Time Definite fuel percentage every week. Use the live carrier page for the percentage in effect on the shipment date Check the weekly fuel surcharge.
DHL states that the Emergency Situation Surcharge has been suspended since April 1, 2024 and the Demand Surcharge since February 17, 2026. DHL may reactivate either charge.
Additional charge chart
DHL Express Canada additional charges at a glance
Fixed amounts reproduce DHL's published schedule effective January 1, 2026. Amounts are in Canadian dollars unless the row states euros. Transportation charges, duties, taxes, customs fees, fuel, and other applicable charges remain separate.
Additional handling & data-correction fees
These charges are assessed per shipment, piece, or pallet. The billing unit and exclusion rules materially affect the total.
| Charge | Amount | Where it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overweight Piece | $130.00 CAD per piece | Every shipment piece, including a pallet, with scale or volumetric weight over 70 kg (150 lb). | Assessed for each qualifying piece, not once per shipment. |
| Oversize Piece | $30.00 CAD per piece | A piece with a longest side over 100 cm (40 in) or second-longest side over 80 cm (32 in). | Does not apply to a piece already subject to the Overweight Piece surcharge. |
| Non-Stackable Pallet | $425.00 CAD per pallet | A pallet that cannot be stacked because of the shipper's request, shape, contents, or packaging material. | Does not apply to pallets below 25 kg. |
| Non-Conveyable Piece | $30.00 CAD per piece | Pieces from 25 kg to 70 kg or pieces requiring special handling because of packaging, shape, wrapping, wheels, handles, straps, or entanglement risk. | Does not apply to a piece already subject to the Overweight Piece or Oversize Piece surcharge. |
| Address Correction | $17.00 CAD per shipment | A shipment with an incomplete, outdated, or incorrect destination address that prevents delivery. | DHL searches for and determines the correct address so delivery can be completed. |
| Data Entry | $15.00 CAD per shipment | A shipping label that is incomplete or was not produced electronically to DHL standards. | Applies when DHL must enter the shipment data manually. |
Remote-area & security surcharges
Postal code, pickup location, destination risk, and trade restrictions control these shipment-level charges.
| Charge | Amount | Where it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote Area Delivery | Greater of $35.00 CAD or $0.30/lb. ($0.66/kg) per shipment | Delivery to a location DHL classifies as distant or difficult to serve. | The greater fixed or weight-based amount applies. Verify the destination against DHL's current remote-area list. |
| Remote Area Pickup | Greater of $35.00 CAD or $0.60 CAD/kg per shipment | An import shipment collected from a location DHL classifies as distant or difficult to serve. | The greater fixed or weight-based amount applies. Verify the pickup location against DHL's current remote-area list. |
| Elevated Risk | $35.00 CAD per shipment | A shipment to or imported from a country where DHL identifies continuing war, civil unrest, or terrorism threats. | Affected countries can change. Check DHL's current list before shipping. |
| Restricted Destination | $35.00 CAD per shipment | A shipment to or imported from a country subject to specified UN or national trade restrictions. | Affected countries and restrictions can change. Carrier acceptance and applicable law still control. |
Dangerous-goods & regulated-shipment surcharges
Classification, packaging, mode, shipper approval, and a contractual agreement can determine whether DHL accepts the shipment and which fee applies.
| Charge | Amount | Where it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Dangerous Goods | $83.00 CAD per shipment | Shipments containing fully regulated substances or commodities under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. | A contractual agreement is required. |
| Excepted Quantities | $14.50 CAD per shipment | Dangerous goods prepared as Excepted Quantities under the applicable IATA requirements. | A contractual agreement is required. |
| Dry Ice UN1845 | $5.25 CAD per shipment | Dry Ice UN1845 used as a freezing agent for non-dangerous goods such as diagnostic specimens. | A contractual agreement is required. |
| Consumer Goods ID8000 | $31.50 CAD per shipment | Eligible retail-form consumer goods covered by IATA ID8000, including certain perfumes, aerosols, nail varnish, and prescription medicines shipped B2C. | A contractual agreement is required, and the goods must meet the ID8000 classification and packaging rules. |
| ADR Load Exemptions | €100.00 per shipment | Road shipments with dangerous goods that exceed the ADR Limited Quantities limit but remain within ADR 1.1.3.6 limits. | A contractual agreement is required. The amount is published in euros. |
| Limited Quantities | €25.00 per shipment | Approved road shipments containing dangerous goods in Limited Quantities that are restricted from air transportation. | A contractual agreement is required. Each piece is limited to 30 kg, and the amount is published in euros. |
| Lithium Batteries with Equipment | $10.00 CAD per shipment | Lithium Ion PI966 Section II or Lithium Metal PI969 Section II batteries packed with equipment. | Accepted from approved shippers only. Packaging must comply with the applicable IATA packing instruction. |
| ADR Special Provision 188/400 | €5.00 per shipment | Road shipments containing commodities handled under ADR Special Provision 188 or 400. | The amount is published in euros. Applicable ADR handling and transport rules still apply. |
Fuel & temporary surcharge status
These amounts are time-sensitive. The live DHL status on the shipment date controls.
| Charge | Amount | Where it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Time Definite Fuel Surcharge | Variable weekly percentage | International Time Definite transportation charges and specified services and surcharges, including remote area, residential, Saturday, additional handling, and security charges. | DHL updates the percentage weekly using its published jet-fuel index and may change the index or table. Check the live rate for the shipment date. |
| Emergency Situation Surcharge | Suspended since April 1, 2024 | The suspension applies from all origins to all destinations and for all products. | DHL may reactivate the surcharge and determine its amount and duration. |
| Demand Surcharge | Suspended since February 17, 2026 | The suspension applies from all origins to all destinations and for all services in scope. | DHL may reactivate the surcharge. When active, qualifying demand surcharges can apply cumulatively. |
DHL Express Canada customs clearance fees
DHL publishes these non-routine customs-service charges in Canadian dollars. Duties, taxes, certificates, government assessments, and other shipment charges remain separate unless a row states otherwise.
| Charge | Amount | Where it applies | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clearance Processing | $15 per shipment | A non-routine customs entry requiring additional clearance processing. | The fee covers DHL's additional customs-processing work and does not include duties, taxes, or government charges. |
| Permits and Licenses | $25 plus certificate cost per shipment | A non-routine entry requiring an import or export permit, licence, or certificate. | The certificate or government cost is added to DHL's published service fee. |
| Customs Physical Intervention | $30 per shipment | A shipment requiring non-routine physical customs intervention or inspection support. | Other storage, government, or handling charges can also apply. |
| Bonded Storage | $15 per shipment plus $0.75/kg per day | A non-routine customs entry held in bonded storage beyond three calendar days. | Both the per-shipment and per-kilogram amounts apply for each chargeable day after the free period. |
| Multiline Entry | $5.50 per line after three lines | A non-routine customs entry containing more than three tariff or commodity lines. | The charge begins with the fourth line. |
| Post Clearance Modification | $75 per shipment | A request or customs requirement to modify entry information after clearance. | Government assessments or other correction-related costs remain separate. |
| Release to Broker | $60 per shipment | An import where the customer designates another customs broker and DHL releases the documents or shipment for broker clearance. | The selected broker's fees and any storage or transfer costs remain separate. |
| Broker Notification | $15 per shipment | A non-routine entry requiring DHL to notify the customer's selected broker. | Brokerage and government charges are not included. |
| Other Government Agency | $16 plus certificate cost per shipment | A customs entry requiring processing with another government agency. | Agency, certificate, inspection, duty, and tax amounts can be additional. |
| Clearance Authorization | $15 per shipment | A non-routine entry requiring additional customer authorization for customs clearance. | The shipment must still satisfy the applicable documentation and customs requirements. |
| Temporary Import Export | $65 per shipment | Goods entered temporarily with an obligation to re-export or otherwise close the temporary entry. | Bond, documentation, government, and re-export requirements can create additional costs. |
| Export Declaration | $15 per shipment | A shipment for which DHL prepares or submits a required export declaration. | Applies when the non-routine declaration service is required or requested. |
| Continuous Bond | $225 minimum per 12-month period | A customer requiring a continuous customs bond for qualifying entries over a 12-month period. | The required bond value and customs circumstances determine whether the minimum or a higher amount applies. |
Carrier source
Verify the carrier source before shipping
Carrier charges and affected locations can change. The chart keeps the fixed-charge effective date visible and sends fuel, remote-area, and temporary-charge checks to DHL's live sources.
- Primary source
- DHL Express Canada: Surcharges
- Source effective date
- January 1, 2026; fuel updates weekly
- DHL states that surcharges apply in addition to transportation rates and other applicable charges and remain subject to its terms and conditions.
- No-charge dangerous-goods entries are not included as fee rows. They may still have classification, packaging, service, or acceptance requirements.
- This page summarizes published carrier information. DHL's current schedule, service status, quote, invoice, account agreement, and shipment eligibility control the final charge.
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