AI-assisted illustration; not a real shipment, customs entry, supplier, or quote.
Two China suppliers offer the same product. One quote says “DDP to your warehouse” and appears to remove every shipping concern. Before treating it as a landed price, a U.S. buyer needs to know which party will make the import entry and exactly where delivery occurs.
Why the three letters are not enough
Under the International Chamber of Commerce's DDP Incoterms® 2020 rule, the seller bears the contractual obligation to deliver the goods cleared for import at the named destination, ready for unloading, and to handle import formalities and applicable duty. The ICC also warns that practical import-clearance requirements can make DDP difficult for a seller. The term belongs in the sales contract with a precise named place, not just in a chat message.
For a U.S. entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection explains that the importer of record must use reasonable care in entry, classification and valuation. Hiring a broker does not erase that legal responsibility. A DDP promise between buyer and seller does not, by itself, establish who is eligible to be the importer of record.
Ask for a five-line responsibility worksheet
| Line | Ask the supplier to state in writing |
|---|---|
| Delivery point | Full named destination and exact receiving point; whether unloading is excluded. |
| Import party | Legal name of the proposed U.S. importer of record and who appoints the licensed broker. |
| Goods basis | Product description, quantity and proposed customs classification for broker review; do not treat a supplier's code as final. |
| Price basis | Whether duties, taxes, brokerage, destination handling and final-mile delivery are included or excluded. |
| Change rule | Who pays if classification, value, route, inspection or delivery address changes before shipment. |
The worksheet is Taotao's comparison tool, not a customs form. Send it to your own licensed broker for a check that fits your shipment. Do not publish importer IDs, tax numbers, bank details or private invoices.
How to decide
Continue when the named place, import party, broker role and price inclusions are documented and your broker confirms the proposed entry route is workable. Pause when the supplier can only repeat “tax included” without naming the import party. Escalate when the paperwork names your company as importer but the quote implies the supplier carries all customs responsibility, or when duty assumptions conflict with your broker's review.
The same method can be applied to helmets and visors or other products, but compliance evidence must still be checked separately for the actual product and destination market. This article does not calculate a tariff or provide legal advice.