Incoterms® 2020 — Category D

DDP — Delivered Duty Paid (Incoterms 2020)

DDPDelivered Duty Paid (Incoterms® 2020). Risk transfers when goods are placed at the buyer's disposal ready for unloading at the named place of destination.. Freight included. Insurance NOT included.Generate compliant DDP documents in 60 seconds. Free up to 3/month.

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infoDDP at a Glance

Responsibilities

Risk Transfer
When goods are placed at the buyer's disposal ready for unloading at the named place of destination.
Cost Responsibility
Seller bears ALL costs including freight, import clearance, duties, taxes, and delivery to destination.
Transport Mode
Any mode (road, rail, air, sea)
Freight Included
Yes — seller arranges & pays main carriage
Insurance Included
No — buyer arranges if desired
Category
Arrival (Destination) (D)

When to Use DDP

  • When seller has strong import capabilities in buyer's country
  • For small shipments where import logistics is burdensome for buyer
  • When seller wants maximum control over entire process

When NOT to Use DDP

  • When seller cannot handle import procedures in buyer country
  • For high-volume B2B where buyer has established import infrastructure
  • When buyer wants duty advantages or preferences

articleDDP Explained — Practical Guide

What DDP Means in Plain Language

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid (Incoterms® 2020)) is an Incoterms® 2020 term in Category D arrival (destination). Under DDP, the seller when goods are placed at the buyer's disposal ready for unloading at the named place of destination.and pays for main carriage to the named destination.

Step-by-Step: Who Does What

  1. Seller: Makes goods available at the named place.
  2. Export clearance: Seller arranges & pays for export clearance.
  3. Main carriage: Seller contracts & pays carrier to named destination.
  4. Risk transfers: When goods are placed at the buyer's disposal ready for unloading at the named place of destination.. After this point, loss/damage is buyer's risk.
  5. Insurance: Buyer arranges own insurance if desired.
  6. Import clearance: Buyer arranges & pays for import clearance, duties, taxes at destination.
  7. Final delivery: Seller unloads at destination.

Common DDP Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using DDP for sea shipments — mode mismatch invalidates the term.
  • Not naming the precise place/port — "DDP China" is invalid; use "DDP Shanghai" or "DDP Guangzhou".
  • Assuming insurance is included when it's not — only CIP and CIF include seller-procured insurance.
  • Confusing risk transfer with cost transfer — they happen at different points in C-terms.
  • Missing "Incoterms® 2020" in contract — without edition, old 2010 rules may apply.

local_shippingCarrier Implementation Notes for DDP

local_shippingFedEx

  • • Terms of Sale field: DDP + named place
  • • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
  • • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
  • • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)

inventory_2UPS

  • • Terms of Sale field: DDP + named place
  • • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
  • • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
  • • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)

deployed_codeDHL

  • • Terms of Sale field: DDP + named place
  • • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
  • • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
  • • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)

downloadFree: Incoterms® 2020 Cheat Sheet (PDF)

One-page reference: all 11 terms, risk transfer points, cost matrix, when to use each. Perfect for your desk or forwarding team.

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