Door-to-Door and DDP Shipping from China: 2026 Guide
What door-to-door and DDP shipping from China include: DAP vs DDP, who pays duty and VAT, which lines deliver to your door, and what to send for a quote.
Key takeaways
- Door-to-door shipping from China covers the whole trip, from pickup at the supplier or our Shenzhen warehouse to delivery at a business address, warehouse or Amazon fulfillment center; airport-to-airport or port-to-port service ends on arrival.
- Door-to-door says where delivery ends; DAP or DDP says who pays import duty and VAT. Under DAP the importer pays them on arrival; under DDP the price includes import clearance, duties and taxes, so there is no separate tax bill.
- Our China–Europe rail line is DDP to 26 European countries: about 16–19 days by rail, then UPS delivers to the address or Amazon warehouse. Our LCL sea freight to Europe is DAP: delivered to your door, with clearance and import taxes charged separately.
- The party named as importer of record is responsible for the declaration and the duties: EU and UK importers need an EORI number, and US formal entries need a customs bond, plus an ISF for ocean freight. Our published US rates don't include US duties.
- For a door-to-door quote, send the weight and volume (CBM), the goods and HS code, the pickup city, the delivery address type (business, warehouse or Amazon FBA) and whether you want duties included.
Door-to-door shipping from China means one forwarder runs the whole trip: pickup from your supplier, or delivery to our Shenzhen warehouse, export declaration, the flight, sailing or train, import clearance and final delivery to your business address, warehouse or Amazon fulfillment center. What door-to-door does not settle is who pays the import duty and VAT. That is set by the terms: under DAP the goods are delivered and you pay duties and taxes on arrival; under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) they are already in the price.
This guide explains the difference, who acts as importer, which of our lines deliver to the door with or without duties, how long door-to-door takes and what to send for a quote.
What does door-to-door shipping mean?
A door-to-door service starts with pickup at the supplier's address and ends with delivery at the final address, covering both ends of the trip. Our air freight can be booked airport-to-airport, door-to-airport or door-to-door. An airport-to-airport or port-to-port booking ends when the goods arrive; your own customs broker and haulier take over from there.
If you buy from several factories, they can deliver to our Shenzhen warehouse, or we collect from each of them. The goods are checked, relabeled if needed and consolidated into one door-to-door shipment. See warehousing and consolidation.
What is DDP shipping from China?
DDP is an Incoterms® 2020 rule: the seller's side delivers the goods to the named place with import clearance done and import duties and taxes paid, so the buyer gets no separate tax bill. Under DAP the goods are also delivered to the named place, but the buyer clears import customs and pays the duty and import VAT. Both can be door to door.
| Who handles it | Airport-to-airport or port-to-port | Door-to-door, DAP | Door-to-door, DDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery ends at | The arrival airport or port | Your address | Your address |
| Import customs clearance | You or your broker | You, as importer | The seller's side |
| Import duty and VAT | You | You, on arrival | Included in the price |
| Final delivery | You arrange it | Included | Included |
DDP is the easiest term for a buyer, but it only works when the party clearing the goods can act as importer in your country, and the price has to cover duties estimated in advance. Our Incoterms guide compares DDP with EXW, FOB, FCA and DAP.
Who pays duty and VAT, and who is the importer?
The importer of record is named on the import declaration, makes sure the goods comply with local rules and pays the duties and taxes. Under DDP the seller's side takes on that role; under DAP it is you.
- EU and UK: commercial importers need an EORI number. Import VAT is charged at the destination country's rate on the CIF value plus duty; the UK standard rate is 20%. A VAT-registered UK importer can use postponed VAT accounting instead of paying import VAT at the border. Tell us your EORI and VAT status and we will recommend the right line; our China–Europe rail line includes duty and import VAT in the price.
- USA: the importer of record, usually the US buyer or the seller's US company, files the entry and owes the duties. Shipments over $2,500 generally need a formal entry and a customs bond, and ocean freight needs an ISF no later than 24 hours before loading in China. Executive Order 14411 of June 2026 tightens the rules for foreign importers of record. Our published US rates don't include US duties; see our US customs guide.
- Express: on FedEx, UPS and DHL shipments the receiver usually pays the duties and taxes on delivery.
Our customs team can pre-classify your products with HS codes and confirm the duty before you ship, and the import duty calculator gives a first estimate for the UK, the EU and the USA.
Which XINTING lines deliver to your door?
| Line | Terms | Duties and import VAT | Delivered to |
|---|---|---|---|
| China–Europe rail, 26 European countries | DDP | Included in the price | Address or Amazon warehouse, by UPS |
| LCL sea freight to Europe and the UK | DAP | Charged separately, with clearance | Your door, after devanning in Europe |
| Air freight to Europe and the UK | Set in your quote | Stated in your quote | Address, by DPD or UPS |
| Air and sea freight to the USA | Set in your quote | Not in the published rates | Any address or Amazon warehouse, by UPS or FedEx |
| Air freight to Canada | Set in your quote | Stated in your quote | Amazon warehouses near Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, or business addresses |
| Air and sea freight to Japan | Set in your quote | Stated in your quote | Amazon, by our own trailers from our Tokyo, Osaka and Tosu warehouses |
| Air and sea freight to Australia | Set in your quote | Stated in your quote | Amazon warehouses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, or addresses by postcode |
| Air freight to New Zealand | Set in your quote | Not in the published rates | Auckland, the North Island and the South Island |
| Express via Hong Kong | Set in your quote | Usually paid by the receiver on delivery | Any address, with door-to-door tracking |
The China–Europe rail line is fully duties-paid: export declaration, the rail leg, import clearance, import duty and VAT, and UPS delivery, at about a third of the air price. For Amazon sellers it also delivers to Amazon warehouses in Germany, France, Czechia, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Our rail freight guide explains how it works.
How long does door-to-door shipping from China take?
Most published times are main-leg times: the flight, sailing or train only. A door-to-door transit time adds pickup, export clearance, customs at destination and final delivery.
- Europe and the UK: direct air consolidations can arrive 4–7 days after entering our warehouse, delivered by DPD or UPS; rail takes about 16–19 days, plus UPS delivery; LCL sea takes 22–25 days to port, plus delivery.
- USA: air reaches LAX in 7–9 days and sea reaches Los Angeles / Long Beach in 14–16 days, plus delivery.
- Japan: 4–5 days by air and 7–9 days by sea to Tokyo or Osaka, plus customs and delivery to Amazon from our Tokyo, Osaka and Tosu warehouses.
- Australia: about 6–10 days by air and 20–25 days by sea to the arrival airport or port, plus customs and delivery.
The full schedule for your shipment is confirmed when you book. Our route pages list the methods and times for each destination.
What should you send for a door-to-door or DDP quote?
- Weight, carton count and carton sizes, or the total volume in CBM. The CBM calculator works out the chargeable weight.
- The goods: product name, material and use, the HS code if you have it, and the value. Batteries, liquids and powders need an MSDS.
- Where the goods are: the supplier's city, or delivery to our Shenzhen warehouse.
- Where they go: a business address, a warehouse, or an Amazon fulfillment center with its FC code and the FBA shipment ID.
- The terms: door-to-door with duties paid (DDP), delivered with duties paid by you (DAP), or airport-to-airport and port-to-port only.
- For the EU and the UK, your EORI and VAT status; for the USA, who will act as importer of record.
Send these with a quote request. For DAP and DDP we price to the door and state whether duties and taxes are included. The China–Europe, China–UK and China–USA route pages show the published rates.
Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce.
FAQ
What is DDP shipping from China?
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means the price includes customs clearance, duties and import taxes, so the goods arrive without a separate tax bill. Our China–Europe rail line is DDP: about 16–19 days by rail, then UPS delivery to the address or Amazon warehouse. For other lines, your quote states exactly what is included.
Is door-to-door the same as DDP?
No. Door-to-door says where delivery ends; DAP or DDP says who pays import duty and VAT. Our LCL sea freight to Europe is door to door on DAP terms, with clearance and import taxes charged separately, while the China–Europe rail line is door to door with duties and taxes paid.
Can you ship DDP from China to the USA?
Our published US air, sea and express rates don't include US duties. US duties are owed by the importer of record named on the entry, usually the US buyer or the seller's US company, and Executive Order 14411 of June 2026 tightens the rules for foreign importers of record. Send us the HS code, product details and value, and our customs team confirms the duties before you ship.
Can you deliver door to door to Amazon FBA warehouses?
Yes. In the US, UPS or FedEx delivers to the Amazon warehouse; our Canada and Australia air rates cover named Amazon warehouses; in Japan our own trailers deliver from our Tokyo, Osaka and Tosu warehouses; and the duties-paid rail line delivers to Amazon in Germany, France, Czechia, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Send your FBA labels and we label the cartons before dispatch.
Do I need an EORI number for door-to-door shipping to the UK or EU?
Commercial imports into Great Britain need a GB EORI number, and imports into the EU an EU EORI number, because the import declaration quotes it. Tell us your EORI and VAT status when you ask for a quote, and we will recommend the right line.
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