DAP or DPU delivery to UK premises?
Choose DAP if you can arrange unloading at the agreed delivery point. Choose DPU if the seller can arrange suitable unloading there and retain the unloading risk. Both leave import clearance, duty and taxes with the buyer. Confirm access, equipment and the exact handover point before accepting a quote from Cambridge China Bridge.
Choose by who can actually unload
Under DAP, the seller delivers with the goods on the arriving vehicle, ready for unloading at the named destination. Under DPU, delivery happens after unloading, with the goods available to the buyer there. The seller carries the unloading risk under DPU. Our Incoterms guide covers the wider allocation of transport costs and risk. For damage discovered after signing, see our guide to hidden damage claims.
DAP suits a site where you can organise suitable equipment and people for the arriving load. Consider DPU where you want the seller to organise unloading, but ask for the actual method and contractor. A promise of delivery to your address does not describe how a heavy crate will reach the ground.
Match the unloading method to the load
Send the seller and haulier the packed dimensions, gross weights, pallet or crate details and lifting instructions. Ask whether the proposed vehicle and unloading equipment can handle the actual load. A forklift on site is useful only if its capacity, reach and access suit the shipment.
For DPU, get written confirmation of who supplies the tail lift, forklift or crane, who operates it and where the goods will be set down. If the seller proposes using your equipment or staff, agree that arrangement explicitly. For DAP, confirm your own unloading booking and ask whether any unloading charge is already included in the carriage quote.
Check access before choosing the term
Share photographs and a site plan showing the entrance, approach road, turning area, loading bay and intended unloading surface. Flag gates, slopes, overhead restrictions, weak ground and pedestrian routes. Ask the haulier to confirm that the proposed vehicle can reach and leave the agreed point.
Agree an appointment, a receiving contact and a plan if access is blocked or the load cannot be unloaded as expected. Ask how waiting, redelivery and replacement equipment would be charged. Use the container delivery checklist for a fuller site preparation review.
Keep import clearance separate
DAP and DPU both leave import clearance and the associated duty and taxes with the buyer. DPU adds seller-arranged unloading; it does not add seller-paid import clearance. Confirm who will appoint the customs agent, provide the documents and arrange payment before the delivery booking is finalised.
Ask your customs broker and tax adviser to confirm how the delivery term relates to ownership, the importer named on the declaration and entitlement to recover import VAT. Ask whose details will appear on the entry and what tax evidence you will receive. See who is the importer of record rather than treating an unloading arrangement as a customs arrangement.
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Name the handover point precisely
Write the chosen term, full premises address, postcode and exact point into the quotation and order. For DAP, describe where the arriving vehicle should stand with goods ready for unloading. For DPU, describe where the unloaded goods should be placed, such as the marked receiving area beside the warehouse entrance.
Avoid relying on phrases such as ‘to your door’. Distinguish the site entrance, loading bay, warehouse interior and final installation position. Ask separately about unpacking, moving goods indoors, positioning machinery and removing packaging. Have the seller confirm the same location and unloading scope in its instructions to the haulier.
Frequently asked questions
Who unloads a DAP shipment?
The buyer normally arranges unloading. DAP delivery occurs with the goods on the arriving vehicle, ready for unloading at the agreed destination. Confirm equipment, people and any unloading charges before booking.
Does DPU include UK import duty and VAT?
No. DPU leaves import clearance, duty and taxes with the buyer. Its distinguishing feature is seller-arranged unloading at the named destination.
Can I use DPU without a forklift?
Potentially, if the seller arranges another suitable unloading method. Send the load details and site restrictions, then obtain written confirmation of the vehicle, equipment, operator and set-down point.
Is my postcode enough for DAP or DPU?
Specify the full address and exact handover point as well. Identify where the vehicle will stand under DAP or where unloaded goods will be placed under DPU, and confirm that the haulier can reach it.