Why does the volume of a shipment to a destination outside of the EU affect the rate applied?

Since 1 January 2021, depending on the content (dm³) of the shipment, the kilo surcharge will be applied based on either the actual weight (in kg) or the volume weight. This new working method has been developed in order to tax shipments that take up more space and/or weight during transport more than smaller and/or lighter shipments. This means that if the actual weight of a shipment is greater than the volume weight, the actual weight will be used to calculate the kilo surcharge. If the volume weight is greater than the actual weight, the volume weight will be used. The example below helps explain how it works.