China-to-UAE DDP Sea Freight Quotes: What to Compare Before You Book

DDP means Delivered Duty Paid. In short, the quotation should state the responsibilities for collection, freight, customs clearance, duties, taxes and delivery to the named UAE destination, and list what is excluded. For a fuller explanation of the term, see our DDP sea freight page. To separate DDP trade obligations from a door-to-door service scope, read door-to-door shipping vs DDP.

This guide focuses on the comparison itself. Two quotes can both say “DDP” and still cover different cargo, locations or services. The worksheet below helps you spot the differences before you look at the totals.

A quotation is only as accurate as the cargo details it was built on. Check the goods description, number of packages, packed dimensions, total volume and gross weight on each quote. If one supplier’s packing list changed after you requested a quote, the earlier figure may no longer apply.

Also check how any special-handling goods were treated. Batteries and powder materials, for example, need product, mode, packaging and documentation review before acceptance — a quote that does not mention them may not have considered them.

Compare the supplier pickup address or addresses in China and the named delivery address in the UAE. A quote to a port or a different emirate is not comparable with one to your warehouse door. Where goods come from several suppliers, check that every pickup is included — see China-to-UAE shipping for how multi-supplier collection is planned.

List what each quotation includes and excludes. Look for collection, consolidation, ocean freight, clearance, duties, taxes, unloading and delivery. Anything a quote does not mention should be clarified in writing rather than assumed to be included. The same applies to cargo insurance, which should never be assumed.

The comparison worksheet

Copy or print this table and fill in the details from each quotation. The final column suggests what to ask the provider when a cell is unclear.

A quote valid for a few days and one valid for several weeks reflect different commitments. Note each validity date and the readiness date the quote assumes.

Check how timing is described. Loading, sailing, clearance and delivery are separate stages; a single “days” figure may refer to only one of them. Ask each provider to say which stage their estimate covers.

1. Request both quotes using the same cargo details and locations.
2. Fill in the worksheet line by line from the written quotations.
3. Send questions for any blank or unclear cells before comparing totals.
4. Compare totals only once both columns describe the same shipment.

Mizan will beat a qualifying, like-for-like, valid written China-to-UAE DDP sea freight quotation by 5%, subject to review. The comparison quote must match the same origin and destination, cargo, scope, service level and quote validity.

See the criteria on the 5% price-beat page.