Taiwan's two main carriers, China Airlines and EVA Airways, will raise their cargo fuel surcharge by around 12 percent this week to offset the rising cost of oil, executives said on Monday.

The airlines' moves mirror those by peers around the world including Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, which have also boosted surcharges as costs surge on record oil prices.

"It has been decided that the fuel surcharge for cargo will be increased so as to reflect the increase in costs," an executive at EVA, the island's second largest carrier after China Airlines said.

Starting July 15, EVA will raise the cargo surcharge to TWD$9 (USD$0.28) per kilo from TWD$8 on Southeast Asian routes and to TWD$19 (USD$0.60) per kilo from TWD$17 on US and European routes, an executive said.

China Airlines will raise its surcharge by the same amount on July 16, an executive said.

Last week, US oil prices hit a record high of USD$62.10 per barrel on concerns Hurricane Dennis would disrupt crude production in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rising oil prices have boosted fuel expenses to between 30-35 percent of total costs from above 20 percent last year, a China Airlines executive said.

"We try to shorten the distance between our costs and the oil prices," the executive said.