The United States is the largest single destination for Chinese exports. For American ecommerce sellers, wholesalers, and brands sourcing from China, DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is the simplest way to ship across the Pacific: one all-in price covering freight, US customs clearance, duties, and delivery to your door or warehouse. This guide covers ocean and air options, US customs requirements, Section 301 tariffs, Amazon FBA delivery, and landed-cost pricing.
DDP is one of the 11 Incoterms® 2020 rules — the global shorthand for who pays and who bears risk at each stage of a shipment. Under DDP, the seller handles international carriage, US Customs clearance, all duties and fees, and delivery to the named US destination. The buyer simply receives the goods.
Compare DDP with the terms American buyers most often encounter:
FOB (Free On Board): the seller's responsibility ends once goods are loaded at the Chinese port. The buyer arranges ocean freight, insurance, US customs clearance, duty payment, and domestic delivery.
CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): the seller pays freight and insurance to the US port, but the buyer handles customs clearance and pays all duties on arrival — CIF is not door-to-door.
DAP (Delivered At Place): the seller delivers to the US destination, but the buyer is the importer of record — paying duties and clearing CBP.
Under DDP, all of that sits with the seller's forwarder. For a US buyer, the result is a fixed landed cost quoted in advance — no separate broker invoices, no duty bills arriving weeks after delivery, no bond paperwork. That predictability is why DDP dominates among Amazon sellers, Shopify stores, and small-to-mid-size importers buying from China.
The physical journey is the same as any Transpacific shipment — the difference is who manages each stage:
1. Quotation. The forwarder reviews your product, quantity, pickup location in China, and US destination (ZIP code), then quotes an all-in DDP rate — per carton, per cubic meter, or per kilogram.
2. Cargo collection. Goods are picked up from the factory, the Yiwu wholesale market, or multiple suppliers and consolidated at a Chinese warehouse. A China sourcing agent can handle quality inspection before anything ships.
3. Export clearance and ISF filing. Cargo clears Chinese export customs; for ocean shipments the ISF 10+2 is filed with US Customs at least 24 hours before loading — your forwarder handles this.
4. Transpacific transport. Ocean freight to the US West or East Coast, or air freight for urgent cargo.
5. US customs clearance. The forwarder's US broker clears CBP, paying duties, the merchandise processing fee, and any Section 301 additional duties.
6. Final delivery. Trucking to your warehouse, 3PL, or Amazon fulfillment center — including delivery appointments where required.
The fastest ocean route lands at the Port of Los Angeles / Port of Long Beach — North America's largest container gateway — with services also calling at Oakland and Seattle/Tacoma. Typical transit from Shanghai, Ningbo, or Shenzhen/Yantian to LA/Long Beach is 14–18 days port to port.
For buyers in the eastern and central US, direct all-water services run through the Panama Canal to the Port of New York/New Jersey and the Port of Savannah, plus Gulf ports like Houston. Typical transit is 25–30 days port to port via the canal. An alternative is landing at a West Coast port and moving inland by intermodal rail — often faster than the all-water route east, at a higher cost.
Congestion, labor disruptions, and peak-season demand can extend these ranges. Add several days at each end for consolidation, customs, and final trucking.
Air freight suits urgent restocks, product launches, samples, and high-value electronics where the cost of a stockout exceeds the freight premium. Cargo flies from Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other Chinese airports to US gateways including Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK), and Dallas (DFW). Air express consolidation typically takes 5–8 business days door to door, including customs at both ends.
Air freight is priced per chargeable kilogram (actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater), so it rewards dense, compact, high-value goods. Many sellers run ocean freight for bulk inventory plus air for top-ups that prevent stockouts.
The Importer Security Filing (ISF 10+2) is a CBP requirement for ocean shipments: the importer or agent files 10 cargo data elements at least 24 hours before loading at the foreign port; the carrier files 2 more. Late or missing filings can trigger penalties. Under DDP, the forwarder files the ISF for you.
CBP processes imports as informal entries (generally shipments under $2,500 not subject to special requirements) or formal entries (most commercial shipments). Formal entries require a customs bond and full documentation — under DDP, your forwarder's broker determines the entry type and handles the filing.
US Customs requires an import bond guaranteeing duty payment on formal entries — a single-entry bond for one shipment, or a continuous (annual) bond covering the year's shipments. Under DDP, the forwarder or their broker typically arranges the bond as part of the service. Confirm it is included in your DDP quote.
Every product gets an HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) code setting its base duty rate, calculated on the customs value plus fees like the merchandise processing fee (MPF). Wrong codes mean overpaid duties — or penalties. A good DDP forwarder classifies your products during quoting; see our Morocco customs duties guide for how classification works.
Since 2018, the United States has applied Section 301 additional duties to a wide range of China-origin goods, on top of normal most-favored-nation rates. These duties sit in product lists tied to specific HTS classifications, and the coverage, rates, and exclusions have changed over time through Federal Register notices and modifications.
This guide does not quote specific 301 rates — they could be outdated by the time you read this. Before shipping, verify the current rate for your exact HTS code with a licensed customs broker or official USTR/HTS sources. Ask your forwarder to confirm the DDP price reflects duties in effect at shipment time and how mid-transit changes are handled.
A large share of China-to-USA DDP cargo ends at an Amazon fulfillment center. FBA delivery has strict requirements your forwarder must follow:
If you sell on Amazon, tell your forwarder upfront that the destination is FBA — labeling, palletization, and appointments must be planned from the start. We also run DDP services to Europe and Morocco for multi-market sellers.
FCL (Full Container Load) means booking an entire 20- or 40-foot container — most economical per unit from roughly 15 cubic meters up, with the fastest port handling (sealed at origin, opened at destination). LCL (Less than Container Load) means sharing a container and paying per cubic meter — the standard choice for a few pallets or cartons.
Under DDP, FCL is quoted per container and LCL per CBM with a minimum chargeable volume. Ask your forwarder where the crossover sits for your lane and season — LCL per-CBM rates can rise faster than FCL rates in peak periods.
Add several days at each end for pickup, consolidation, export clearance, US customs, and final delivery. For Amazon sellers, also allow time for FBA check-in, which can take extra days in peak season.
DDP pricing is always shipment-specific. The main cost drivers are:
The reliable way to price a shipment is a per-unit landed cost for your product and destination. Use our DDP cost calculator for an instant estimate, or request a formal quote with your product details.
Send us your product, quantity, and US destination for an all-in DDP price covering Transpacific freight, US customs clearance, duties and fees, and delivery to your door, 3PL, or Amazon fulfillment center. Try the DDP calculator, read our trade blog, or contact us: WhatsApp +86 19548828869 (China) or +212 665891416 (Morocco), email hakimallalat@gmail.com. Office: Room 711, China-Africa Building, No. J9, Shangcheng Avenue, Futian Street, Yiwu City, Zhejiang, China. About SEALAND.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is an Incoterms 2020 rule: the seller arranges international freight, clears US Customs, and pays all duties and fees. The buyer receives the goods with nothing further to pay.
ISF 10+2 (Importer Security Filing) is a US Customs requirement for ocean shipments: the importer files 10 cargo data elements at least 24 hours before loading at the foreign port; the carrier files 2 more. Late or missing filings can trigger penalties.
Yes — Section 301 additional duties apply by country of origin and HTS classification, regardless of shipping term. Rates and lists have changed over time, so verify current rates with a customs broker or official sources, and confirm your DDP quote reflects the duties in effect.
West Coast (LA/Long Beach): 14–18 days port to port. East Coast (New York, Savannah) via the Panama Canal: 25–30 days. Add several days at each end for consolidation, customs, and delivery.
Yes. DDP forwarders regularly deliver to Amazon fulfillment centers. Cargo must meet Amazon's prep requirements (FNSKU labeling, poly bags, carton labels), follow the FBA shipment plan, and the carrier must book delivery appointments where required.
US Customs requires an import bond for formal entries. Under DDP, the forwarder or broker typically arranges it — single-entry or continuous. Confirm the bond is included in your DDP quote.
FCL books an entire container — most cost-effective per unit from roughly 15 cubic meters up. LCL shares a container and is priced per cubic meter — the standard choice for smaller restocks.