DDP shipping from China to the USA

What DDP actually means

DDP is one of the Incoterms® rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. Incoterms settle two things: who pays for each stage of a shipment, and at what point the risk of loss or damage passes from seller to buyer.

Under DDP, the seller's side carries all of it — every cost and all the risk — until the goods are delivered to the named destination, cleared for import and duty paid. The buyer's only job is to unload them.

In China–US freight, "DDP" is used a little more loosely. Most Chinese suppliers quote EXW or FOB and don't want to deal with US customs. So importers hire a forwarder to provide the DDP service instead: the forwarder collects from the supplier, and everything after that is its responsibility, for a price agreed before the goods move.

DDP compared with EXW, FOB and DAP

If your supplier quotes FOB or EXW, you can still ship DDP. We take over at the port or the factory gate and quote the rest of the journey.

What goes into a DDP price

• Pickup from the supplier and origin trucking
• Chinese export declaration
• Origin terminal and handling charges
• International freight by sea or air, including carrier surcharges
• ISF filing for ocean shipments
• US customs entry and brokerage
• Import duty according to the product’s HTS code
• Section 301 tariffs and any other additional duties that apply
• Merchandise Processing Fee, and Harbor Maintenance Fee for ocean cargo
• Destination terminal charges and final delivery

The biggest variable is usually duty. The rate depends on the product's HTS classification and country of origin, and many Chinese-made goods carry Section 301 tariffs on top of the normal rate. Because tariff rates can change at short notice, every DDP quote we give is based on your actual product classification and confirmed at booking.

Who is the importer of record?

Every shipment entering the US needs an importer of record — the party legally responsible for declaring the goods correctly and paying the duties. It's the most important question to ask any DDP provider, because the answer defines your risk.

On a DDP shipment the importer of record is usually the forwarder or a partner company, not you. That's what lets you receive goods without holding a customs bond or hiring a broker yourself. The trade-off is that you depend on that party declaring your goods accurately.

As volumes grow, many importers switch to shipping under their own name on DAP terms with their own customs bond. We can support that too, and help you judge when the switch makes sense.

When DDP is the right choice

• You are new to importing and don’t have a customs broker or bond
• You sell on Amazon and want cargo delivered to FBA without managing customs
• You need a fixed landed cost to set prices and protect margins
• You buy from several suppliers and want a single invoice for the whole shipment

DDP may not be the best fit if you ship very high volumes, where your own bond and broker cost less per entry, or if your products fall under agencies such as the FDA or EPA that may require you, as the brand owner, to hold registrations. Tell us your product category and we'll explain what applies — or read our guide to US customs clearance.