Amazon to charge merchants 5% surcharge for fulfillment services as fuel costs rise

FILE PHOTO: The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said it will impose an average 5% fuel and inflation surcharge on merchants to warehouse and ship their products in the United States, in response to rising costs.

It is Amazon's first such surcharge and follows months of higher wage and labor-related expenses that have chipped away at the online retailer's profit.