What is the difference between DDP, DDU and DAP?

DDP includes everything: freight, customs clearance, duty and consumption tax. DDU includes Japan clearance and delivery, with duty and consumption tax paid separately as assessed. On DAP we deliver to your address, and the consignee handles Japan clearance and taxes.

Why does DAP cost so much more than DDU for the same shipment?

DAP is traditional LCL: Japan port charges and the dedicated truck from the bonded warehouse each have a minimum charge that a few hundred kilograms can't spread. DDU shares a container with other cargo, which is unloaded at our warehouse in Japan and delivered by courier, so the cost is shared by volume. For around 300 kg, DDU costs about half as much as DAP.

Can palletized cargo go DDU?

Sea DDU is delivered by courier, so each carton must be under 30 kg with length + width + height up to 160 cm, and palletized cargo cannot go. Full pallets can go sea DAP or air DDU.

What are the local charges in a container quote?

Usually the charges at the port of loading, such as customs declaration, booking and document fees, billed as incurred. They exclude trucking within China, as well as Japan port charges and delivery.

Can I pay the freight in yen?

Yes, or in RMB or US dollars; RMB goes to our designated account in mainland China. For a first shipment, we ship once the freight is paid in full.

Our cargo insurance covers loss only, not damage. You can insure against loss at 0.3% of the cargo value. Please use sturdy cartons with cushioning so the goods do not shift or get crushed in transit.

How long from factory pickup to delivery in Japan?

Sea DDU is delivered about 25 days after sailing; with pickup, receiving and waiting for the vessel, that is about a month from factory pickup, e.g. about 32 days from Dongguan to Sapporo. Air DDU takes about 14 days from warehouse receipt to delivery.

What DDP, DDU and DAP Quotes from China to Japan Include

Ask several forwarders to quote the same shipment and the prices often don't line up: some include tax and some don't; some deliver to the door and some stop at the port. Shenma Fastship ships LCL cargo to Japan on three terms, DDP, DDU and DAP. Below we list what each quote covers, line by line, so you can compare.

Take an LCL shipment of 0.91 m³ and 300 kg from a factory in Dongguan to Sapporo: the sea DDU quote is about half the sea DAP quote, and the goods arrive about 32 days after pickup at the factory. The difference lies in how the goods are cleared and delivered once they reach Japan.

DDP: Duties and Taxes Paid

Includes: pickup, export customs in China, sea or air freight, Japan import clearance, duty and import consumption tax, door delivery
Billed per kg; the consignee pays no tax and handles no customs formalities
Suits small shipments, e-commerce goods and Amazon FBA inbound
Some channels have limits on cargo value or category; see the specific channel

DDU: Consolidated to Our Japan Warehouse, Delivered by Courier

Includes: pickup, export customs in China, sea or air freight, Japan port charges, our Japan import clearance fee, door delivery
Excludes: duty and import consumption tax, charged as Japan Customs actually assesses them, plus a small fee for paying them on your behalf
Your goods share a container with other customers' cargo, which is unloaded at our warehouse in Japan and handed to Sagawa Express or Seino Transportation for delivery, so even a small shipment shares the costs
Delivery limits: each carton under 30 kg, with length + width + height up to 160 cm; palletized cargo and cartons over these limits cannot go sea DDU
Sea freight is delivered about 25 days after sailing

DAP: Traditional LCL, Dedicated Truck to Your Door

Includes: pickup, export customs in China, sea freight, Japan port charges (terminal handling, delivery order, etc.), a dedicated truck from the bonded warehouse to your address
Excludes: Japan import clearance fee, duty and import consumption tax
Port charges and the dedicated truck each have a minimum charge that a few hundred kilograms can't spread, so the rate is higher than DDU
Suits palletized or crated cargo and single pieces over the courier limits

What Quotes Usually Leave Out

Customs inspection fees: charged at cost if the shipment is selected for inspection
Wooden crates and reinforced packing: charged per carton; packing changes the weight and dimensions, and the freight is adjusted to match
Breaking down pallets or taking back crates: not offered at present; pallets and crates are delivered with the goods
Duty and import consumption tax: paid separately on every term except DDP

Payment and Cargo Safety

First shipment: we ship once the freight is paid in full; regular, ongoing shippers can agree payment terms with us
Currency: RMB (to our designated account in mainland China), US dollars or yen
We send you photos when the goods arrive at and leave the warehouse, and you can follow the shipment on the Track Shipment page of our website
Cargo insurance: 0.3% of the cargo value, covering the loss of a whole shipment or part of it, not damage; some categories, such as food, cannot be insured

What to Send for a Quote

Product name and use
Carton count and each carton's dimensions and weight; you can work them out first in our CBM calculator
Factory address, or the receiving warehouse you will deliver to
Delivery address in Japan, down to the city or town
Preferred terms: DDP, DDU or DAP; if unsure, ask for all three
Whether the goods contain batteries, liquids or powders

Frequently Asked Questions

Warehouses

Dongguan
Building 3, No. 4 Chenwu East Road, Houjie Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
Shenzhen
Unit 101, No. 6 Ruikang Road, Hangcheng Subdistrict, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Yiwu
No. 755 Xuefeng West Road, Beiyuan Subdistrict, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
Xiamen
Unit 7-106A, Phase II, Jiasheng Logistics Park, Pulin Road, Guankou Town, Jimei District, Xiamen, Fujian, China
Fuzhou
No. 41 Dutou, Menkou Village, Xiangqian Town, Minhou County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
Ningbo
West No. 2, Terminal 2, Ningbo Lishe International Airport, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Shanghai
Building B7, Lane 3199 Jiasong Middle Road, Huaxin Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China
Qingdao
Unit 101, Building 4, China Eastern Logistics Park, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, Jiaozhou, Qingdao, Shandong, China

We run our own pickup points across China, so we can collect from your door quickly wherever you are. Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao handle our highest volumes, so dropping off there is fast too.

Ready to Ship?

Tell us your destination and cargo details, and our team will match you with the best channel.