DDP Import Solutions

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is the Incoterms rule under which the seller delivers to the buyer’s door with all import duties and formalities already discharged. It is the most convenient term for the buyer and the riskiest for the seller, because it requires the seller to act as importer in a country where it is usually not established. Edora Global Trade takes on the whole chain — transport, export and import clearance, duties and final delivery — as a single point of contact. Imports into Türkiye are where this service is strongest.

DDP imports into Türkiye

Importing into Türkiye means customs and import procedures that call for detailed planning and constant coordination. Collecting from the supplier, running the international leg, completing clearance and delivering anywhere in Türkiye only works as one flow; managed as separate handovers, it is the handovers that generate the delay, not the procedures.

End-to-end management of the import process
A single point of contact
Advanced coordination of customs procedures
Management of duty and tax processes
Regulatory and documentary support
Warehousing and distribution
Final delivery throughout Türkiye
Transparent communication
Logistics solutions built around the requirement

In short: we do not simply deliver the goods, we take responsibility for the entire import process.

Why DDP gets complicated

The problem is not the transport. DDP forces the seller to appear as importer in a foreign country, and almost no seller is set up for that. Three blockages recur:

The seller cannot lodge the declaration. Almost everywhere the importer must be a party registered in the destination country. In Türkiye the declaration is lodged by a party with local customs registration; in the European Union an EORI number is required, and an indirect customs representative for anyone not established in the EU.
Import VAT becomes a cost. The foreign seller advances it but often cannot deduct it, having no VAT registration in the destination country. A DDP price quoted without accounting for this loses exactly the VAT rate in margin.
Classification is decided late. Tariff code and origin get settled at the last moment, on an invoice written to sell rather than to clear. Corrections at customs always cost days.

DDP, DAP and the alternatives

Term	Transport	Export clearance	Import clearance	Duty and VAT
DDP	Seller	Seller	Seller	Seller
DAP	Seller	Seller	Buyer	Buyer
DPU	Seller, unloading included	Seller	Buyer	Buyer
CIF / CPT	Seller to the agreed point	Seller	Buyer	Buyer

When DDP becomes impractical — because the destination country does not allow a non-established party to import, or because VAT is not recoverable — the right answer is usually not to force DDP but to move to DAP and agree separately who funds the duties. The buyer still receives the goods at the door; only who appears as importer changes.

What we take on

Collection from the supplier and transport to the door — by sea, road or air, at a single all-in cost.
Export declaration at origin, with origin and movement documents.
Import clearance, handled in house and coordinated with representation in the destination country.
Funding of duties and taxes where agreed, shown transparently on the invoice.
Final delivery to the consignee’s address, with proof of delivery.

A single point of contact is not a commercial convenience; it is the reason transit times shorten. In most stalled DDP shipments the delay does not arise at customs but in the handover between the forwarder at origin and the one at destination, where each waits for a document from the other.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does DDP include?

Transport to the agreed place, export and import clearance, duty, VAT and any other charges due on import. Unless otherwise agreed, unloading at the delivery point remains with the buyer.

Can a foreign seller import into Türkiye in its own name?

The declaration must be lodged by a party holding customs registration in Türkiye. In practice this means either the buyer acts as importer or the seller relies on a structure that assumes the role. Most DDP arrangements stop precisely here.

Can the seller recover import VAT?

Only where it is entitled to do so in the destination country, which normally requires VAT registration. Otherwise VAT is a net cost and must be built into the price. It is the most frequent error in DDP pricing.

DDP or DAP — which is better?

DDP if the seller can clear at destination and recover VAT; DAP in every other case. Under DAP the buyer still receives the goods at the door: only who appears as importer and who funds the charges changes.

Is DDP allowed everywhere?

No. Some countries do not permit a non-resident party to act as importer. Before committing to a DDP sale the specific destination market has to be checked; there is no general rule.

Who is liable if the goods are held at customs?

Under DDP the risk of import clearance sits with the seller, including the consequences of an incorrect classification. That is why the tariff code has to be agreed before shipment, not argued at the border.

What information do you need for a DDP quotation?

Tariff code, origin of the goods, value, current Incoterms rule, delivery address and volume or weight. With those the quotation includes duty and VAT definitively; without them, it is an estimate destined to change.

Do you handle triangular trade under DDP?

Yes. Goods purchased in one country and delivered DDP to a third are a structure we run regularly. It requires attention to origin and movement documents, which follow the goods rather than the commercial route.

If your DDP always stalls at the same point, send us a real file. We look at where it stops — representation, VAT, classification — and tell you whether to keep DDP or switch to DAP.

Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce. This page is informational; the binding text is the official ICC publication and the applicable customs legislation.