United Parcel Service Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

2026 vs 2025  ·  SEC EDGAR  ·  2026-05-22
Other years: 2025 vs 2024 · 2024 vs 2023
⚠ AI-Generated

The summary below was generated by an AI language model and may contain errors or omissions. All other content on this page is deterministically extracted from the original SEC EDGAR filing.

UPS maintained its overall risk factor structure between 2025 and 2026, with no new risks added or removed but seven existing risks substantively modified. The most significant modifications addressed climate change regulations and their cost implications, asset impairment risks tied to evolving business plans, competitive pressures in a rapidly transforming industry, and challenges in workforce recruitment and retention. These revisions reflect UPS's updated assessment of regulatory, operational, and market pressures rather than a fundamental shift in identified risk categories.

✓ Deterministic extraction — no AI-generated data

Classification is based on semantic text similarity scoring and may include approximations. “No match” means no high-confidence textual match was found — not necessarily that a section was removed.

0
New Risks
0
Removed
7
Modified
15
Unchanged
🟡 Modified

Regulations related to climate change, including reporting obligations, could materially increase our operating costs.

high match confidence

Sentence-level differences:

  • Reworded sentence: "Compliance with such regulations, and any increased or additional regulations, or the associated costs is further complicated by the fact that various countries and regions may adopt different approaches to climate change regulation and disclosures."
  • Reworded sentence: "International regulations also continue to increase and could materially increase our operating and other costs."
  • Reworded sentence: "15 15 15 In addition, in January 2026, the U.S."
  • Reworded sentence: "or abroad, especially aircraft, gasoline or diesel engine emissions, could, among other things, increase the cost of fuel and other energy we purchase and the costs associated with updating or replacing our aircraft or vehicles prematurely."
  • Reworded sentence: "It is likely that such regulation could significantly increase our operating costs and that we may not be willing or able to offset such costs."

Current (2026):

Regulation and required disclosures of greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions and related matters exposes us to potentially significant new taxes, fees, disclosure and compliance obligations and other costs. Compliance with such regulations, and any increased or additional…

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Regulation and required disclosures of greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions and related matters exposes us to potentially significant new taxes, fees, disclosure and compliance obligations and other costs. Compliance with such regulations, and any increased or additional regulations, or the associated costs is further complicated by the fact that various countries and regions may adopt different approaches to climate change regulation and disclosures. In the U.S., Congress has considered but, to date, not passed various bills that would regulate GHG emissions. Nevertheless, we believe some form of federal climate change legislation is possible in the future. Even in the absence of such legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency could determine to regulate GHG emissions, especially aircraft or diesel engine emissions, and this could impose substantial costs on us. International regulations also continue to increase and could materially increase our operating and other costs. For example, the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, a European regulation, mandates jet fuel suppliers in Europe supply a target percentage of sustainable aviation fuel ("SAF") at airports inside the European Union. The SAF target percentage started at 2% in 2025 and increases to 70% by 2050. The cost of SAF can be higher than conventional jet fuel, and SAF suppliers can pass this cost along to purchasers, which can increase our operating costs, potentially significantly. This initiative has also mandated increased reporting requirements. Also beginning in 2025, we have been required to monitor and report the non-carbon dioxide aviation effects for certain routes in the European Union. These requirements are expected to increase in the future, and may expand beyond reporting, either of which would increase our compliance costs. In addition, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA"), a global, market-based emissions offset program to encourage carbon-neutral growth began a voluntary pilot phase in 2021, with mandatory participation scheduled to begin in 2027. Details regarding implementation of CORSIA continue to develop, and compliance may increase our operating costs, potentially significantly. 15 15 15 In addition, in January 2026, the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate Accords. The effect that the withdrawal may have on future U.S. policy regarding GHG emissions, on CORSIA and on other GHG regulation remains uncertain. The extent to which other countries implement those accords could also have a material adverse effect on us. Increased regulation relating to GHG emissions in the U.S. or abroad, especially aircraft, gasoline or diesel engine emissions, could, among other things, increase the cost of fuel and other energy we purchase and the costs associated with updating or replacing our aircraft or vehicles prematurely. We cannot predict the impact any future regulation will have on our cost structure or our operating results. It is likely that such regulation could significantly increase our operating costs and that we may not be willing or able to offset such costs. Moreover, even without such regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity about the GHGs emitted by airline and transportation companies could harm our reputation and reduce customer demand for our services, especially our air services. Furthermore, many countries and U.S. states have adopted, or are expected to adopt, additional requirements relating to GHG emissions disclosures and related matters. These requirements may differ or conflict from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Compliance with these requirements may increase our operating costs or require significant management time and attention. Any failure to comply with applicable regulations could result in substantial fines or other penalties, which could materially adversely affect us.

View prior text (2025)

Regulation and required disclosures of greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions and related matters exposes us to potentially significant new taxes, fees, disclosure and compliance obligations and other costs. Compliance with such regulation, and any increased or additional regulation, or the associated costs is further complicated by the fact that various countries and regions may adopt different approaches to climate change regulation and disclosures. In the U.S., Congress has considered but, to date, not passed various bills that would regulate GHG emissions. Nevertheless, we believe some form of federal climate change legislation is possible in the future. Even in the absence of such legislation, the Environmental Protection Agency could determine to regulate GHG emissions, especially aircraft or diesel engine emissions, and this could impose substantial costs on us. International regulations also continue to increase and could materially increase our operating costs. For example, the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, a European regulation, mandates jet fuel suppliers in Europe supply a target percentage of sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) at airports inside the European Union. The SAF target percentage starts at 2% in 2025 and increases to 70% by 2050. The cost of SAF can be higher than conventional jet fuel, and these suppliers can pass this cost along to purchasers, which can increase our operating costs, potentially significantly. In addition, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation ("CORSIA"), a global, market-based emissions offset program to encourage carbon-neutral growth began a voluntary pilot phase in 2021, with mandatory participation scheduled to begin in 2027. Details regarding implementation of CORSIA continue to develop, and compliance may increase our operating costs, potentially significantly. In addition, in January 2025, the President of the U.S. signed an executive order indicating that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords. The effect that the withdrawal may have on future U.S. policy regarding GHG emissions, on CORSIA and on other GHG regulation remains uncertain. The extent to which other countries implement those accords could also have a material adverse effect on us. Increased regulation relating to GHG emissions in the U.S. or abroad, especially aircraft, gasoline or diesel engine emissions, could, among other things, increase the cost of fuel and other energy we purchase and the capital costs associated with updating or replacing our aircraft or vehicles prematurely. We cannot predict the impact any future regulation will have on our cost structure or our operating results. It is likely that such regulation could significantly increase our operating costs and 15 15 15 that we may not be willing or able to pass such costs along to our customers. Moreover, even without such regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about the GHGs emitted by companies in the airline and transportation industries could harm our reputation and reduce customer demand for our services, especially our air services. Furthermore, many countries, as well as U.S. states, in which we operate or are subject to regulation have adopted, or are expected to adopt, additional requirements relating to the disclosure of GHG emissions and related matters. In many cases these requirements differ and may conflict from country to country. Compliance with these disclosure requirements may increase our operating costs or require significant management time and attention. Any failure to comply with applicable disclosure regulations in the U.S. (at either the federal or state level) or other countries could result in substantial fines or other penalties, which could materially adversely affect us.

🟡 Modified Changes in markets and our business plans have resulted, and may in the future result, in substantial impairments of the carrying value of our assets, thereby reducing our net income. 🔒
🟡 Modified Our industry continues to rapidly evolve. We expect to continue to face significant competition, which could materially adversely affect us. 🔒
🟡 Modified Failure to attract or retain qualified employees could materially adversely affect us. 🔒
🟡 Modified Increasingly complex and stringent laws, regulations and policies could materially increase our operating costs. 🔒
🟡 Modified Changes or continued uncertainty in general economic conditions, in the U.S. and internationally, may adversely affect us. 🔒
🟡 Modified Changes in our relationships with any of our significant customers, including as a result of our strategy to reduce volume from our largest customer or the loss or reduction in business from one or more other customers, could have a material adverse effect on us. 🔒
6 more changes in this filing

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