Recently, a customer inquired about the meaning of “double clearance with tax included.” Today, I will briefly share some commonly used terms in international logistics. As we all know, internationally recognized trade terms include EXW, FOB, CIF, DDU, and DDP. Among them, “double clearance with tax included to door” refers to DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), which means that the seller is responsible for all costs associated with delivering the goods to the foreign recipient and completing customs clearance and delivery.
This trade method is generally applicable when the foreign consignee lacks the ability to clear customs and pick up goods. For example, in recent years, with the rise of cross-border e-commerce, many B2C shipments for FBA have adopted this method. Additionally, some individual or corporate buyers abroad choose this transaction method for convenience. Regardless of the shipping method, goods must go through customs clearance and tax payment before they can be picked up or delivered to the consignee. Different countries have different customs clearance requirements, varying tax rates for different products, and delivery costs that differ based on various addresses. Therefore, shippers need to clearly understand the consignees’ needs during trade negotiations—such as whether there are any requirements regarding delivery timeframes, if they have customs clearance capabilities, whether shipments should be sent to designated airports or ports or directly to their doorsteps—and what the specific address is. At the same time, information about product names, packaging dimensions per item, and weight should also be provided to transportation agents for pricing inquiries.
Currently, the domestic agency’s door-to-door double clearance service uses a pricing method that involves domestic delivery to the warehouse and international delivery to the door. If separate pickup is needed, it can be discussed further. After receiving the goods, the agent will arrange transportation based on the client’s time requirements: urgent items will use air transport, while non-urgent ones can choose sea freight, rail, or truck transport; timing and shipping costs will vary accordingly.
The process generally involves the agent consolidating goods, booking space with an airline or shipping company, completing export customs clearance, transporting the goods abroad for customs clearance again, and then splitting and delivering them. The delivery method is flexibly arranged based on the type of goods; small items usually opt for express delivery while large items use trucks. Therefore, different channels and types of goods will set weight and size limits according to express requirements. For example, a single item must weigh at least 12kg but cannot exceed 22kg; if a single item’s weight exceeds a certain number of kilograms or its longest side exceeds a certain number of centimeters, additional fees will apply. Additionally, depending on whether the address is remote or not, there may be confirmation of remote area surcharges. Different products have different tax points which can lead to varying product surcharges as well as additional fees for private (non-Amazon) addresses. Thus, when inquiring about prices it is important to pay special attention to the agent’s size and weight regulations to ensure that product names are detailed and addresses are accurate in order to minimize extra expenses. At the same time, it’s necessary to understand how billing works: international logistics typically charges based on whichever is greater between volumetric weight (length × width × height × quantity / 6000; express delivery uses /5000) and actual weight. If only actual weight is provided during price inquiry but after handover volumetric weight exceeds actual weight, freight costs will increase. Therefore, before quoting prices it’s advisable to obtain accurate dimensions and weights data in order not to misquote freight costs leading to losses.
Today, I will share the DDP transportation model, hoping to help those in need.
