Your supplier quotes delivery of shop fittings to your warehouse, but the offer says DAP when you asked for DDP. The salesperson says its forwarder will handle everything. Before accepting, ask what “everything” means: transporting the cartons, submitting an import declaration and bearing the import charges are different responsibilities. A warehouse destination does not, by itself, tell you who must clear the goods.
This purchase is a fictional illustration, not a customer transaction. This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Customs eligibility and tax treatment depend on the destination, parties and goods; confirm your arrangement with a qualified local adviser.
Start with the import-clearance difference
The ICC's Incoterms 2020 rules allocate import clearance to the buyer under DAP and to the seller under DDP. Under DAP, the buyer carries out and pays for applicable import formalities, duties and taxes. Under DDP, those obligations sit with the seller. Both rules have the seller arrange carriage to the agreed destination.
That distinction matters more than whether one quote uses the phrase “door to door”. A forwarder can transport goods to a door while import clearance remains the buyer's responsibility. Request a written answer from the contracting seller, not just a shipping contact's reassurance.
A historical August 24, 2024 forum question asked how to include customs costs for a shipment to Spain or Colombia. It is a self-reported request for an all-inclusive arrangement, not evidence of current charges or a lawful DDP service in either country.
Put the same destination on both offers
Write the rule, precise named place or agreed point, and version into the quotation and sales agreement. For the fictional fittings order, that could be “DAP, buyer's warehouse receiving bay, agreed delivery address, Incoterms 2020”. Replace the illustrative location with the actual agreed address; “DAP destination city” leaves the receiving point unresolved.
The ICC's DAP and DDP explanations place delivery and the normal risk transfer at the named destination, with goods on the arriving vehicle ready for unloading. Neither rule requires the seller to unload. Unloading costs can already be included in the seller's carriage contract, in which case they are not separately recoverable from the buyer unless otherwise agreed.
Confirm access, receiving hours and who arranges unloading. If one offer ends at a terminal and another at your warehouse, they are not comparable. The EXW, FOB and CIF guide covers those other terms without substituting them for the DAP/DDP customs question.
Identify who can actually make the import happen
Ask who will be named as importer, who will submit the declaration, whose registration details will be used and what authority the customs representative needs. Obtain confirmation that the proposed entities and representation model are eligible under the destination's rules. Appointing a forwarder does not automatically make it a lawful importer of record.
For a specific destination example, HMRC's customs-representation guidance says a business not established in the UK importing into Great Britain can only appoint someone to act indirectly. It also distinguishes direct representation in the customer's name from indirect representation in the representative's own name, with different liability. These are Great Britain rules, not a model to assume for Spain, Colombia or another destination.
HMRC's appointment guidance also requires written instructions identifying direct or indirect representation and says appointing help does not remove due-diligence responsibility. For your country, seek the equivalent official requirements before authorising use of your company details.
If the seller cannot explain a workable DDP import arrangement, do not solve that gap by accepting “our forwarder does DDP” as proof. ICC itself cautions that a seller unable to obtain import clearance should consider another rule. A transparent DAP arrangement may be preferable to an unsupported DDP promise.
Make the all-in claim itemised
Ask each party to complete the same responsibility comparison:
| Item | What needs a written answer |
|---|---|
| Import clearance | Responsible party, customs representative and included service fees |
| Duties and import taxes | Contractual payer, calculation basis and evidence to be supplied |
| Destination handling | Included charges and any separately payable items |
| Warehouse delivery | Exact destination and conditions for a failed delivery attempt |
| Unloading | Who performs it and whether carriage already includes its cost |
| Inspection, storage or delay | Which exceptional charges could arise and how responsibility will be determined |
| Customs records | Who receives the declaration and supporting payment records |
Do not invent a universal duty or tax percentage. Have the destination specialist assess the goods and import arrangement, and label estimates as estimates. Ask whether “DDP excluding import tax” changes the standard allocation; any proposed departure needs explicit agreement and local review, not an unexplained label.
Agree the responsibilities before the deposit
For DAP, organise the buyer's import clearance early enough to support delivery. For DDP, confirm the seller's import plan and document obligations before relying on its price. Keep the agreed term consistent across the contract, quotation and invoice; the purchase-invoice guide helps reconcile those records.
Import responsibilities are separate from the payment and local financial records discussed in the Latin American importer guide. Use pay an invoice to ask A2vanta about the proposed settlement before funding. An invoice-payment enquiry does not arrange customs clearance, establish an importer or certify the seller's DDP offer.