DDP Shipping from China

Yes. At Honour Ocean, DDP means double clearance and duty-paid delivery to the agreed address, on the terms stated in the confirmed quotation.

DDP covers export clearance in China, international transport, destination import clearance, duty and tax for the declared goods, and delivery to the agreed address. Customs revaluation, inspection, remote delivery and special cargo exceptions are confirmed per shipment rather than assumed to be inside the price.

No. DDP is available where a compliant import arrangement can be built for that country and that commodity, which is confirmed per shipment. Where it cannot, an alternative such as DDU is quoted instead.

Some destinations do not allow an overseas seller to complete import and tax formalities, and some commodities need registration or certification before they can be imported at all. We confirm the importer-of-record position and the duty treatment for each shipment instead of promising universal DDP coverage.

Not with the seller as importer of record. Nigeria requires the importer of record to be a Nigerian entity with a TIN, and Form M must be opened at an authorised dealer bank before shipment for any value above USD 1,000, with a validity of 180 days. Where the buyer is not a Nigerian company, we confirm the compliant structure — normally the buyer’s Nigerian consignee or a licensed arrangement — before any duty-paid scope is quoted.

Nigeria requires a Nigerian importer of record and a Form M opened before shipment above USD 1,000, so we confirm the compliant structure before quoting DDP.

SONCAP is mandatory for products covered by Standards Organisation of Nigeria regulations: the exporter obtains a Product Certificate and then a Shipment Certificate from an accredited conformity assessment body before shipment. Food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices additionally need NAFDAC registration, where published processing times run to 90 working days for food and longer for drugs. Both are product-specific, so we confirm the applicable scheme from the product details.

SONCAP applies to regulated products before shipment, and NAFDAC registration applies to food, drugs and cosmetics — both confirmed from the product details.

No direct South China call into Poti or Batumi is published. Poti handles about 80% of Georgia’s container traffic and a dozen carriers call there, but a China-origin sea movement is normally a transhipment through Piraeus, Istanbul or Constanta, with the routing and transit confirmed at booking. For most commercial cargo the Middle Corridor rail option is faster and easier to schedule.

Direct South China calls into Poti or Batumi are not published; sea freight runs as a transhipment, while the Middle Corridor rail option is normally faster.

Georgia applies three import duty bands — 0%, 5% and 12% — and nearly 90% of tariff lines sit at zero, so most goods enter duty free. VAT on imports is 18%. Personal consignments within the published thresholds of GEL 500 and 30 kg per 30 days enter free of duty, VAT and excise, but commercial shipments cannot use that allowance.

Most goods enter Georgia at a 0% duty rate, with 5% and 12% bands on the rest, plus 18% VAT on imports.

Indirectly, yes. The canal authority reported Neopanamax booking slots at 98.31% utilisation in August 2026, with daily Neopanamax slots cut to nine and Panamax to 23 under drought measures, and the maximum authorised draft held at 14.63 m after a planned reduction was postponed. Vessels without a reservation may face delays, and Panama-bound cargo competes for the same slots as Asia–US East Coast transit cargo, so space and routing are confirmed at booking rather than assumed.

Canal slots are tight after 2026 drought measures — 98.31% of Neopanamax booking slots were used in August 2026 — so space and routing are confirmed at booking.

Free-zone cargo is not a normal import. Since 1 April 2026 the Panamanian customs authority requires an export or re-export declaration when goods leave a free zone or a customs warehouse, with traceability of the movement. The documentation and delivery scope are therefore quoted separately from a mainland delivery, and the declared-value treatment differs.

Colón Free Zone movements need an export or re-export declaration since 1 April 2026 and are quoted separately from a mainland delivery.

By block train or by road. Rail leaves the main China hubs — Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Yiwu — and exits at Khorgos/Altynkol or Dostyk/Alashankou, where the gauge changes from 1,435 mm to the 1,520 mm network used across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; a published Xi’an–Tashkent timing is 5–6 days station to station. Road runs over Khorgos or Irkeshtam, with an FTL Guangzhou–Tashkent transit published at 12–14 days. Air into Tashkent is the urgent option.

Uzbekistan is landlocked: the lane runs by block train or road over the Khorgos and Irkeshtam crossings, with published Xi’an–Tashkent rail at 5–6 days station to station.

Only an Uzbekistan-registered legal entity or a resident registered individual entrepreneur may conduct foreign economic activity, so a foreign seller cannot be the importer of record. Regulated products also need a certificate of conformity from an accredited body under the Agency for Technical Regulation, and phytosanitary certificates apply to plants and wood packaging. We confirm that structure before quoting any duty-paid scope.

A foreign seller cannot be importer of record: Uzbekistan requires a registered local entity, so the import structure is confirmed before a duty-paid scope is quoted.

Yes, through an ACP (Attorney for Customs Procedures). In principle the import declaration must be made by the person importing the goods, and in practice a customs broker files as proxy. Appointing an ACP lets a seller without a Japanese entity act as importer of record and handle duty and consumption tax. We confirm the arrangement before quoting any duty-paid scope.

A foreign seller can be importer of record in Japan by appointing an ACP (Attorney for Customs Procedures); otherwise a broker files as proxy for the importer.

A consignment whose total customs value is ¥10,000 or less is exempt from both customs duty and consumption tax, and split shipments from one sender to one recipient are aggregated for that test. Above the threshold, consumption tax is 10% standard or 8% reduced, and duty follows the MFN, GSP or EPA rate for the tariff line. Leather bags, knitted apparel, ski boots and leather-soled footwear are excluded from the exemption.

Japan exempts consignments of ¥10,000 or less from duty and consumption tax; above that consumption tax is 10% (8% reduced) plus the applicable MFN, GSP or EPA duty rate.

Solid-wood packaging must be ISPM 15 treated — heat treated or methyl-bromide fumigated — and stamped with the IPPC mark; non-compliant wood is a standard rejection and delay cause. Seasonal stink bug measures apply to targeted goods and containers in the risk season, Khapra beetle measures apply to high-risk plant products and containers, imported food is inspected under the food inspection scheme, and plant products are assessed against the biosecurity import conditions. Allow roughly seven extra days when a tailgate inspection is ordered.

Solid-wood packaging must be ISPM 15 treated and stamped, seasonal stink bug and Khapra beetle measures apply to targeted cargo, and a tailgate inspection adds about seven days.

The import declaration is made by the importer — the owner of the goods — or by a licensed customs broker acting as their agent, and the Border Force does not complete the declaration on an importer’s behalf. Where the buyer is not an Australian entity, we confirm the compliant import arrangement before quoting a duty-paid scope, and we confirm whether the goods need an import declaration or fall under the AUD 1,000 low-value treatment.

The importer or a licensed customs broker acting as agent files the declaration; where the buyer is not an Australian entity we confirm the compliant arrangement before quoting duty-paid.

A Brazilian company holding a CNPJ with Siscomex and RADAR registration — the import declaration is filed in that entity’s name, so a foreign seller cannot import directly. Where the buyer is not a Brazilian entity we confirm the compliant structure before quoting a duty-paid scope. Certification belongs to the same review: INMETRO approvals take 60–120 days and ANATEL around 30–90 days, normally with a local representative, and cargo without valid certificates is held or returned.

Brazil requires a local CNPJ holder with Siscomex and RADAR registration as importer of record; a foreign seller cannot import directly, and INMETRO or ANATEL certification is confirmed first.

The stack is layered rather than a single rate: import duty of 0–35% by NCM on the CIF value, IPI charged on CIF plus duty, PIS and COFINS, ICMS charged by the destination state at rates from 4% to 20%, and AFRMM at 8% of the ocean freight. Because ICMS is charged “por dentro” — on top of the other taxes — the effective burden is higher than the headline percentage, which is why we quote a landed-cost breakdown rather than one number.

Brazil layers import duty (0–35% by NCM), IPI, PIS/COFINS, state ICMS from 4% to 20% and 8% AFRMM on ocean freight, so the effective rate is higher than any single headline figure.

For goods that meet the ACFTA origin rules and travel under a valid Form E certificate of origin, yes: normal-track lines fall to 0% against MFN rates that reach 40%. The origin rules are wholly obtained goods, a regional value content of at least 40%, or a change in tariff classification. A missing or rejected Form E falls back to the MFN rate, so the certificate is confirmed before shipment rather than at arrival.

A valid ACFTA Form E takes normal-track lines to 0% duty against MFN rates up to 40%, provided the goods meet the origin rules; without it the MFN rate applies.

No. Decision 01/2025 repealed the previous exemption on 18 February 2025, so express imports below VND 1,000,000 are now declared and taxed for both duty and VAT. Low-value consignments need the same commercial documentation as larger shipments, and since 31 December 2025 imported ICT and telecom products need type approval and QCVN conformity regardless of quantity.

Vietnam repealed the de minimis exemption on 18 February 2025: parcels below VND 1,000,000 are now declared and taxed for duty and VAT.

No. A foreign seller without an Indian entity cannot hold an Import Export Code, cannot hold the regulated product approvals and cannot be named as the importer on the Bill of Entry. The importer of record must be an Indian entity — or an appointed third-party importer — registered on ICEGATE with an IEC and a PAN-linked GSTIN. Where the buyer has no Indian entity, we confirm that structure before quoting any duty-paid scope.

India requires an Indian entity as importer of record: a foreign seller cannot hold an IEC or be named on the Bill of Entry, so the structure is confirmed before quoting duty-paid.

It depends on the category: BIS ISI marking and CRS registration for goods on the compulsory certification list, WPC equipment type approval for anything with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or other radio, an FSSAI import licence for food with the 60% shelf-life rule, CDSCO registration with an Indian Authorized Agent for medical devices, and Legal Metrology labelling showing MRP and net quantity. Compliance lead time is typically 8–12 weeks, so approvals are started before the cargo ships rather than at arrival.

Approvals depend on the product — BIS/CRS, WPC for wireless, FSSAI for food, CDSCO for medical devices and Legal Metrology labelling — and typically take 8–12 weeks.

Not with the seller as importer of record. The import declaration is filed by a South African-registered importer holding a SARS customs client number, so where the buyer does not have a local entity we confirm the compliant structure — normally the buyer’s South African consignee or its appointed clearing agent — before any duty-paid scope is quoted.

A South African-registered importer with a customs client number files the declaration, so the structure is confirmed before quoting DDP.

Goods covered by South Africa’s compulsory specifications need a Letter of Authority from the NRCS before they can be cleared — electrotechnical, automotive and several chemical and food product groups are the usual cases, and the requirement applies per specification, not per country of origin. Listed goods additionally need an ITAC import permit (form IE461). Both are product-specific, so we confirm the applicable scheme from the HS line before shipping.

NRCS Letters of Authority apply to goods under compulsory specifications, and ITAC permits to listed goods — both confirmed from the product details.

Karachi is the binding constraint on this lane. The KICT backlog crossed 38,000 containers in February 2026 and Pakistan Customs publicly warned the terminal, while the Karachi Chamber of Commerce warned that prolonged congestion was choking trade. We plan buffer days for clearance, confirm free time and demurrage terms before the cargo sails, and route via Port Qasim where it protects the schedule.

Karachi congestion is the lane’s main delay risk — buffer days and demurrage terms are confirmed before sailing.

The Finance Act 2025 cut the exemption to consignments imported by post or courier valued up to PKR 1,000, down from the previous PKR 5,000 which applied regardless of mode. Commercial cargo is always assessed: duty is charged by HS line under the Pakistan Customs Tariff, with China–Pakistan FTA preference where the tariff line and the certificate of origin qualify.

Only postal or courier parcels up to PKR 1,000 are exempt since the Finance Act 2025; commercial cargo is assessed by HS line.

PIL’s China Chittagong Express runs direct and weekly from Ningbo, Shanghai and Shekou, and its service sheet puts Chattogram on day 9 of the rotation and Ningbo on day 12 — so the working range is 9–12 days port to port. The first direct sailing in September 2024 made Ningbo to Chattogram in 9 days, against the 20–25 days the transhipment routings took. The rotation in force is confirmed at booking.

The direct weekly service runs 9–12 days port to port; the rotation in force is confirmed at booking.

The importer needs an IRC from CCI&E and a BIN VAT registration before a commercial letter of credit can be opened with an authorised dealer bank — non-L/C paths exist via a sales contract plus an import or clearance permit from CCI&E. VAT is 15% at import, only non-commercial consignments up to BDT 2,000 are duty free, and duty stacks by HS line into the total TTI. We confirm the whole structure before quoting a duty-paid price.

An IRC and a BIN precede the letter of credit; VAT is 15% at import and only non-commercial parcels up to BDT 2,000 are exempt.

The ACID is Egypt’s advance cargo registration: the importer files the shipment on NAFEZA, the exporter verifies on CargoX, and the issued ACID must be quoted before departure — mandatory for sea since October 2021 and for air since 1 January 2026. Documents are due 48 hours before vessel arrival, air express under 50 kg and USD 2,000 is exempt, and from 1 April 2026 DHL requires the 19-digit ACID at booking or the parcel is refused or fined.

The ACID must be issued through NAFEZA/CargoX before departure — for air since 1 January 2026 — and DHL requires it at booking from 1 April 2026.

Not directly. The importer must be on GOEIC’s Importers Register, whose general rule is 51% Egyptian ownership; Decree 271/2026 added a time-limited route (up to ten years, renewable once) for foreign-owned companies, but it still requires an Egyptian legal entity. Foreign manufacturers of listed product groups — household appliances, textiles, lighting, toys and more — must also register with GOEIC before their goods can clear.

The importer of record must be on GOEIC’s register — generally 51% Egyptian-owned — and listed foreign manufacturers must register separately.

No. Thai Customs abolished the 1,500-baht exemption from 1 January 2026, so cross-border purchases are taxed from the first baht. The published e-commerce brackets run up to 30% duty for fashion and footwear, 20% for bags and accessories and 10% for electrical goods, plus 7% VAT on CIF plus duty — commercial cargo is assessed by HS line as before.

The 1,500-baht exemption ended on 1 January 2026; every import is taxed from the first baht.

With an original Form E certificate of origin, normal-track goods under the ASEAN–China FTA can enter Thailand at 0% duty; a missing, defective or non-original Form E falls back to the full MFN rate for that line. Because anti-dumping duties on listed Chinese goods (2.76–69.35%) are levied before VAT regardless of FTA preference, we check the tariff line and the origin paperwork before quoting a duty-paid price.

An original ACFTA Form E can bring normal-track goods to 0%; anti-dumping duty still applies to listed goods.

Kenya imports declare on KRA’s SIMBA portal through a licensed clearing agent, with the import declaration fee (2.5% of customs value), the commercial and pro-forma invoices, and the KEBS Certificate of Conformity issued by CCIC in China under the PVoC programme. Duty follows the EAC common external tariff — 0% on raw materials and capital goods, 10% on intermediates, 25% on finished goods and 35% on sensitive lines such as textiles and steel — plus 16% VAT on CIF and duty and a 2% railway development levy.

SIMBA declaration via a licensed clearing agent, IDF 2.5%, RDL 2%, duty by EAC tariff line, 16% VAT, and a KEBS CoC from PVoC inspection.

Mombasa is the container gateway, and the standard-gauge railway links it to the Nairobi (Embakasi) and Naivasha inland container depots — the 2026 KRA and KPA port reforms push more boxes onto that rail to cut dwell. Cargo dwelling over 21 days at the port now moves to container freight stations, pre-arrival processing has expanded and a dedicated empty-container site is in place, so inland timing is planned with the booking.

SGR rail moves boxes from Mombasa to the Nairobi and Naivasha ICDs; dwell over 21 days shifts to CFS yards.

Courier and postal parcels up to USD 200 FOB enter Peru free of ad-valorem duty and IGV under SUNAT’s Importa Fácil regime; parcels between USD 200 and 2,000 pay 4% ad-valorem plus 18% IGV on the simplified declaration. SUNAT has said it is reviewing the sub-USD 200 exemption, but no change is in force, and commercial cargo always clears on a full declaration with an active RUC and, above USD 2,000 FOB, a licensed broker.

Parcels up to USD 200 FOB are free of duty and IGV; USD 200–2,000 pays 4% plus 18% IGV.

Above USD 2,000 FOB a licensed customs broker is mandatory; below that a simplified declaration can be filed, and natural persons importing up to USD 1,000 FOB (at most three times a year) can clear without an RUC. The consignee of commercial cargo needs an active RUC registration — SUNAT blocks importers listed as no habido — and pre-arrival filing under despacho anticipado is the standard path, clearing 2–3 days after discharge.

A licensed broker is mandatory above USD 2,000 FOB; the consignee needs an active RUC and pre-arrival filing clears in 2–3 days.

With an original Form E certificate of origin, normal-track Chinese-origin goods can enter Indonesia at 0% duty instead of the MFN line rate, which runs up to 150% on some goods. A missing, defective or non-original Form E falls back to the full MFN rate, and anti-dumping duty applies regardless of FTA preference — ceramic tiles from China carry IDR 13,446–94,544 per square metre under PMK 70/2024, in force for five years from October 2024, with textiles and footwear still under investigation.

An original Form E can bring normal-track goods to 0%; anti-dumping duty on ceramics applies regardless of FTA preference.

The old Permendag 36/2023 regime was revoked on 30 June 2025 and replaced by the Permendag 16/2025 cluster rules: the importer needs an NIB business identity from OSS, an API-U or API-P licence and, for regulated commodities, a Persetujuan Impor (import approval). A foreign seller cannot act as importer of record — an Indonesian-registered entity clears the cargo — and listed goods additionally need SNI certification, BPOM registration for food and cosmetics, or DJID type approval for telecom products.

NIB plus API-U/API-P under Permendag 16/2025, with import approvals per commodity — an Indonesian-registered importer is required.

Air-courier and postal consignments up to RM500 CIF per consignment are exempt from import duty and import sales tax with immediate clearance, under the Customs Duties Exemption Order 2017 — but the limit does not extend to sea freight or normal commercial imports. Goods sold online at RM500 or less per unit carry the 10% low-value goods sales tax on the sale value from the first ringgit, and a foreign seller above RM500,000 of LVG sales in 12 months must register as a Registered Seller.

RM500 CIF per courier or postal consignment is free of duty and sales tax; online low-value goods pay the 10% LVG tax from the first ringgit.

Import duty runs by HS line under the Customs Duties Order 2022, and an original ACFTA Form E can bring normal-track Chinese goods to 0%. Since 1 July 2025 sales tax at import is 10% standard or 5% on First Schedule goods, service tax is 8% standard, and the low-value goods regime adds its own 10% tax for online sales — so the quotation states duty, sales tax and service tax separately for the exact tariff line.

Duty by HS line (0% with Form E under ACFTA), sales tax 10% or 5% at import, service tax 8% — the quotation states each for the line.

No. Chile eliminated the USD 41 franchise on 25 October 2025 under Ley 21.713: purchases up to USD 500 from registered platforms pay 19% IVA at checkout and clear through a simplified channel with no customs duty, while purchases from unregistered platforms pay IVA and duty at the border. Commercial cargo always clears on a full entry with a RUT-registered importer — 6% general duty or 0% with a Form F, plus 19% IVA on CIF and duty.

The USD 41 franchise ended in October 2025; platform purchases up to USD 500 now pay 19% IVA at checkout.

With an original Form F certificate of origin, Chilean ad-valorem duty drops from the 6% general rate to 0% under the 2006 FTA as upgraded, and 19% IVA still applies on CIF plus duty. The Form F is issued before departure and checked line by line — a missing or defective certificate falls back to the 6% rate, so the paperwork is verified before the cargo sails.

An original Form F brings duty to 0% from the 6% general rate; IVA of 19% still applies.