DHL raises rates by 35%: what it changes for your shipments to Russia and the CIS
If you ship to Russia or the CIS by express courier, your landed cost has moved: from 1 November DHL increased its rates by an average of 35%. For a supplier that sends samples, catalogues, spare parts or small commercial batches, this is not only a freight line in the invoice — it changes which mode of transport makes sense for each consignment, how the customs value is built, and how much time your buyer has to budget for clearance. In previous years the annual increase was around 10%, so this is a different order of magnitude and worth re-checking your standing arrangements. Below is what to review before your next shipment and what your Russian consignee will now ask you for.
What has changed in express rates
From 1 November DHL raised the price of its services by an average of 35%. The carrier has raised prices in previous years as well, but the usual step was about 10% — this time the increase is several times larger and it applies across the service range, not to a single lane.
The market conclusion is less dramatic than the figure suggests. Vladimir Aksenov, head of the customs clearance and logistics service iCustoms, and market analysts agree that despite the significant increase, DHL customers will keep using the company. For an exporter this means there is no rush to abandon your courier account — but there is a reason to re-price each type of consignment separately instead of sending everything the way you always have.
What it means for your shipment to Russia
Express is normally the default for three kinds of cargo: pre-contract samples and catalogues, urgent spare parts, and paper documents. A 35% increase does not make any of them impossible, but it narrows the gap between express and ordinary freight, and that gap was the whole reason for paying the courier premium.
Practically, the decision now splits by urgency. Where the buyer genuinely needs the goods this week, express still wins. Where the deadline is measured in weeks, air freight or consolidated road transport starts to look better on total cost, especially if you can hold several small orders and send them as one consignment.
The second consequence is about paperwork rather than money. A courier shipment travels under the carrier's simplified procedure, and the courier handles a large part of the formalities. As soon as the same goods move as ordinary freight, they are declared in full, and the quality of the shipper's documents — description, HS code, value, certification — decides whether the consignment clears in a day or waits at the border. If your product falls under mandatory conformity assessment in the EAEU, the certificates must exist before the goods arrive, not after.
From 1 November DHL raised its rates by an average of 35% — exporters are re-planning express shipments to Russia and the CIS
Express or freight: how to choose now
The table below shows the typical shipments an exporter sends to Russia and what to reconsider after the increase.
| Type of shipment | How it usually worked | What to check now |
|---|---|---|
| Samples and catalogues | Sent by courier one by one, the cost was accepted without discussion | Group them into a single shipment or attach them to the next commercial batch; agree with the buyer who pays |
| Urgent spare parts | Express, because the line was down | Still express when the deadline is real; be ready to quote an air-freight alternative for everything else |
| Small commercial batches, pallets | Courier for speed and simple paperwork | Air or road consolidation; budget time for a full customs declaration on the buyer's side |
| Originals of documents | Courier envelope | Unchanged, but the line item in your budget grows — plan the number of sendings |
The choice is not only about tariffs. Freight modes have their own schedules and consolidation windows, so a cheaper shipment is also a slower one, and that has to be agreed with the buyer before the order is confirmed, not after the goods are ready.
What your buyer in Russia will ask you for
Expect your consignee to come back with document requests they never made before. When a shipment leaves the courier channel, the Russian importer files a full customs declaration and needs a consistent set from you: a commercial invoice with a full description of the goods and their value, a packing list with weights and package counts, the contract or specification the shipment is made under, and, where applicable, the certificate or declaration of conformity and the technical documentation used to obtain it.
The rate increase does not change a single customs rule — but moving a shipment out of the express channel does. The same goods that travelled on a courier waybill now need a full document set from the shipper, and the most common reason for a consignment sitting at the border is a description in the invoice that does not match the HS code the buyer declared.
One more point often missed by suppliers: under most delivery terms, transport costs up to the border of the EAEU are included in the customs value on which duties and VAT are calculated. A higher freight bill therefore raises the taxable base as well. Your buyer will feel it and may return to you with a request to revise prices or terms — it is better to have the answer ready than to negotiate while the cargo is in transit.
What the exporter should do
- Take your last three months of shipments to Russia and the CIS and split them into two groups: genuinely urgent and everything else.
- Ask for a fresh quote on air, road, rail or sea for the second group, and compare total delivery time, not only the rate.
- Re-check the delivery terms in your contracts: under DAP and DDP the increase is yours, under EXW and FCA it is the buyer's. If the terms need changing, raise it before the next order.
- Introduce a consolidation rule for samples and small parts — one shipment per week or per order instead of a courier envelope for every request.
- Bring your documents up to declaration standard: full product description, materials and purpose, an HS code agreed with the buyer, correct weights and package counts in the packing list.
- Check in advance whether your goods require conformity assessment in the EAEU and who is applying for it — the certificate is issued for the importer, but the technical file comes from you.
- Warn your buyer of the new lead time in writing, so that the change of transport mode does not turn into a missed delivery date under your contract.
Frequently asked questions
Does the increase affect customs duties and VAT in Russia?
Duty and VAT rates are unrelated to a carrier's tariffs. But delivery costs up to the EAEU border form part of the customs value, so a more expensive shipment does increase the base from which the payments are calculated.
Should we move away from DHL altogether?
Not necessarily. The conclusion of the experts who looked at this increase is that customers will continue to use the carrier. The sensible response is to keep express for urgent consignments and move the rest to freight.
Will switching from express to freight delay clearance at the border?
Not by itself. Delays come from documents, not from the mode of transport: a mismatch between the invoice description and the declared HS code, missing certification, or an understated value. With a complete set, a freight consignment clears on normal terms.
Who should organise transport now — us or the buyer?
Whoever can compare several modes on the same lane. Many suppliers hand the leg to Russia over to the buyer's logistics provider and ship on FCA terms, which removes the tariff risk from the supplier entirely.
Summary
From 1 November DHL rates are up by an average of 35%, against roughly 10% in previous years, and customers are expected to stay with the carrier rather than leave it. For an exporter shipping to Russia and the CIS the practical response is to keep express only for genuinely urgent consignments, move the rest to air, road, rail or sea, and upgrade the document set to declaration standard, since freight shipments are cleared in full. Re-check your delivery terms as well: they decide whether the increase lands on you or on your buyer. Request a consultation, and we will review your particular shipment — route, documents and clearance on the Russian side.
We will quote air, road, rail or sea delivery to Russia and clear your consignment for your buyer.
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- Shipping PPE to Russia under TR CU 019/2011: Which Certificates Stay Valid and What Your Buyer Will Need
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