DAP

Delivered At Place — the seller delivers goods ready for unloading at the destination, but the buyer handles import clearance.

Trade term

TL;DR: This term is one of 37 definitions in the freight glossary, so the signal is the number it changes — not the acronym. It sits in the Trade term category and links to 3 related terms for adjacent freight math. Use the example below to turn the definition into a before/after calculation before you quote or clear cargo.

What it means

DAP (Delivered At Place) sits one step below DDP in seller responsibility. The seller arranges and pays for transport to a named destination — typically the buyer’s port, warehouse or premises — and delivers the goods ready for unloading. Import clearance, duties and taxes, however, fall on the buyer. This is the natural middle ground for many China-to-GCC transactions: the buyer controls their own customs relationship (important where compliance like SABER or VAT registration is involved), while the seller still manages the long ocean leg. DAP is often the sensible default because it avoids the seller having to hold foreign tax registrations, and it gives the buyer direct control over landed cost and clearance timing.

Who pays / who bears risk

Who pays

Seller pays freight to the named place; buyer pays import clearance and duty.

Who bears risk

Seller bears risk to the delivery point; buyer bears import-clearance risk.

Common misunderstanding

DAP and DDP differ on one thing: who clears import and pays duty.

Why it matters

DAP balances responsibility: the seller runs the transport, the buyer runs customs. It suits importers who have their own GCC clearance setup and want control over duties.

Example

An Omani importer buys DAP Sohar Port: the Chinese seller ships and delivers to the port, while the Omani buyer clears through Oman Customs and pays 5% duty themselves.

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DAP