How Shopify and WooCommerce Sellers Can Prepare for FedEx Surcharges and Summer Shipping Delays

FedEx has increased its fuel surcharge tables across Ground, Home Delivery and International Priority services by roughly 200 basis points while bumping its late-payment penalty to 9.9% starting June 1. The update comes even as wholesale diesel prices remain below historical averages, squeezing profit margins for cross-border Shopify and WooCommerce sellers that rely on FedEx for last-mile delivery. Merchants shipping bulky inventory to the U.S. should immediately revisit landed-cost calculators and consider zone-skipping or regional carrier alternatives to limit cost escalation.
Source: Supply Chain Dive, Published on: June 10, 2025

Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) provider Sezzle has filed a landmark antitrust lawsuit in Minnesota federal court, alleging that Shopify blocks rival pay-later buttons at checkout and forces merchants into Shopify Payments. The 42-page complaint claims reduced consumer choice, higher transaction fees, and suppressed conversion rates for independent e-commerce brands. A protracted court battle could reshape the BNPL ecosystem and prompt sellers to integrate multiple financing gateways to future-proof checkout flexibility.
Source: PYMNTS, Published on: June 10, 2025

Freightos’ June 10 update shows Asia-to-U.S. West Coast spot rates surging 98% WoW to USD 5,488 per FEU, while East Coast lanes jumped 61% to USD 6,410. Capacity tightness is driven by front-loading ahead of expected U.S. tariff adjustments in July and seasonal pre-Prime Day inventory builds. Independent sellers should lock ocean contracts early, split shipments across ports, and leverage near-shore warehousing to hedge against further General Rate Increases (GRIs) scheduled for mid-June and early July.
Source: Freightos, Published on: June 10, 2025

Reports indicate Meta is negotiating a USD 15 billion investment for a 49 percent share in Scale AI, positioning the social giant to bolster data-annotation capacity and accelerate Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) research. CEO Alexandr Wang is slated to lead a new 50-person AGI taskforce at Meta. For advertisers, faster model training could unlock richer audience targeting and automated creative generation on Facebook and Instagram, enhancing ROAS for DTC brands.
Source: The Verge, Published on: June 10, 2025

TikTok for Business has joined forces with sustainability platform Scope3 to launch end-to-end carbon-emission measurement for in-feed and Spark ads. Brands will receive granular data on grams of CO₂ per 1,000 impressions alongside reduction recommendations—vital for ESG-focused consumers in Europe and North America. Early pilots show up to 38% emission cuts when moving spend to lower-impact inventory, creating a new KPI for environmentally conscious marketing.
Source: TikTok for Business, Published on: June 10, 2025

The 24,346 TEU MSC Irina completed its maiden call at Vizhinjam International Seaport, India, showcasing the port’s capacity to handle ultra-large container vessels. The deep-water hub shortens transit times on Asia–Europe routes and offers alternative feeder services to the Middle East—an attractive option for exporters seeking to bypass congestion at Singapore and Colombo. Merchants shipping to EU buyers can leverage the new lane for faster delivery and reduced transshipment fees.
Source: Times of India, Published on: June 10, 2025

Amazon confirmed Prime Day 2025 will run for 48 hours in July, and has begun leaking “Invite-Only Deal” teasers across fashion, electronics, and home décor. The retailer urges sellers to complete FBA inbound shipments by June 25 to guarantee stock allocation. Independent brands should synchronize email campaigns, influencer whitelisting, and Buy with Prime landing pages to maximize conversion during the surge in promotional traffic.
Source: ABC News, Published on: June 10, 2025

Speaking at the Global FinTech Forum, PayPal executives revealed plans to embed PYUSD stablecoin payouts into its Payouts API, citing up to 70% lower FX costs and T+0 settlement speeds. The company projects stablecoin-enabled “Agentic Commerce” could unlock 30 percent incremental GMV by 2030, especially in LATAM and Africa where currency volatility hampers online spending. Early adopters among WooCommerce stores could see checkout conversion gains and faster cash cycles.
Source: Investing.com, Published on: June 10, 2025

Google has started rolling out Android 16 to Pixel devices, introducing AI-powered photo re-painting, RCS group chat encryption, and Wallet business badges. For mobile commerce, the update enables richer product imagery, contextual push notifications, and frictionless loyalty card storage—features that can lift session duration and average order value. Merchants should audit their PWA performance, test 3-D model rendering, and deploy RCS-based customer-support flows ahead of the holiday peak.
Source: TechCrunch, Published on: June 10, 2025

Secure Capacity & Rates: Lock contracts before mid-June GRIs and consider emerging hubs such as Vizhinjam.
Diversify BNPL: Integrate multiple pay-later providers to avoid platform lock-in.
Green Advertising: Use TikTok-Scope3 metrics to highlight low-carbon fulfilment.
Prime Day Prep: Finalize July inventory, bundle offers and leverage Buy with Prime traffic.
Android 16 Readiness: Ensure app compatibility with new RCS and AI features.

Agile logistics, diversified payments and data-driven marketing remain key to thriving amid tariff and cost volatility.

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