DOWNLOADABLE OCEAN DDP TOOL

DDP shipment and quote review checklist

Use this checklist before requesting or accepting an ocean FCL/LCL DDP or door-to-door plan from China or Southeast Asia to the 48 contiguous U.S. states or São Paulo.

Web page updated 28 Sep 2026·Reviewed by Shenzhen Pan American Air Sea International Logistics Co., Ltd.

PDF · EN / 中文 / PT-BRDownload the trilingual PDF checklistOne document · English, 简体中文 and Português do Brasil · Updated 28 Aug 2026

01 / DIRECT ANSWER

What must be confirmed before accepting an ocean DDP quote?

Confirm the real cargo, route, importer and customs structure first. Then require a written quote to separate included services, excluded items, duties and taxes, destination charges, examination costs, storage, demurrage, detention and delivery conditions. For each exception, ask what triggers the charge, how it is calculated, who pays it, when notice is given and which supporting documents will be provided. Record unresolved items before accepting the quote; a total price alone does not establish the service scope.

Cargo and route inputs

Describe the shipment before comparing prices.

Commercial product name, material, function and intended use
Origin country/city, pickup terms and cargo-ready date
FCL or LCL; package count, dimensions, gross weight and volume
Commercial value, currency and proposed Incoterms rule
Final address, postal code, access limits and appointment needs
Battery, brand, chemical, food, medical or other regulatory attributes

Importer, customs and document responsibility

Identify the legal parties and filing path before loading.

Seller, buyer, consignee and proposed importer of record
Customs broker or representative and who supplies source data
Current HTS or NCM classification basis and product evidence
U.S.: ISF responsibility, data cutoff and customs bond preparation
Brazil: importer habilitation, Siscomex and representative authority
Brazil: operation-specific DI/LI or Duimp/LPCO path
Licenses, certificates, authorizations and document-retention responsibility

Written quote scope and exception costs

Compare four points in writing: included services; exclusions; exception triggers and calculation basis; notice and supporting evidence.

Origin pickup, export handling, ocean freight and destination handling
Customs-clearance coordination and importer arrangement
Duty and tax basis, payment method and proof supplied
Final delivery scope, equipment, appointment and unloading assumptions
Excluded services and third-party charges
Examination, inspection, storage, demurrage, detention and redelivery
Free time, quote validity, currency and change conditions
For each exception: trigger, rate or calculation basis, payer and applicable free time
Notice contact and timing; quote revision or approval process; invoices and supporting records
Documents and shipment milestones supplied after execution

DECISION VISUAL 01

FCL or LCL is a shipment decision, not a universal volume cutoff

Compare the actual lane, cargo, handling, schedule and destination charges before selecting a mode.

FCL · Full container

Review when control and fewer handling points matter

One shipper uses the container
Container, equipment and free-time assumptions matter
Space utilization and destination delivery must be checked

LCL · Shared container

Review for smaller or more frequent ocean shipments

Pay for chargeable cargo volume
Consolidation and deconsolidation add handling
Minimums, CFS and destination charges must be checked

No universal CBM threshold: request both written options when the answer is close.

DECISION VISUAL 02

Cargo acceptance begins with disclosure, then a written review

A product name alone is not acceptance. Material, form, battery, brand, use, packaging and route documents determine the review path.

Standard review

Normal transport documents are still required before booking.

Example: ordinary dry, non-regulated cargo with complete details.

Separate review

Do not ship to the warehouse until written acceptance is issued.

Food, medical supplies, chemicals and authorized branded goods.

Not accepted

The current published PANMEI scope does not quote these categories.

Liquids, powders, counterfeit goods, military and dual-use items.

Battery-powered goods are not automatically separate-review cargo, but battery, packaging and route documents must be disclosed.

How do you compare a supplier's quote with a forwarder's quote?

Put both written offers against the same shipment and delivery scope before comparing totals. This is a comparison method, not a customer case or a price estimate.

Send both providers the same version of the packing list, cargo value, pickup location, cargo-ready date and final delivery address. State residential access, appointment and unloading needs.
For each service and document in this checklist, mark included, excluded or not yet confirmed in each offer. Do not treat a blank field or an unknown charge as zero.
Align currency, validity, chargeable volume or weight, minimums, tax assumptions and the start/end milestones used for the delivery estimate. Ask for written clarification where they differ.
Compare confirmed totals only after the scope is aligned, and list unresolved costs separately. For example, an offer including an appointment and agreed unloading equipment is not equivalent to one that leaves them unconfirmed. Request a revised scope before accepting either offer.

REVIEW GATE

Use the checklist as a review gate, not as automatic cargo acceptance

PANMEI reviews every shipment by cargo, parties, value, documents and route. The published website and checklist are general information, not a binding quotation, customs ruling, tax opinion or guarantee of clearance.

DDP Quote Readiness Self-Check →Request a route review →Ocean freight and import guides →

Official reference pointsICC · Incoterms® ↗U.S. CBP ↗gov.br · Siscomex ↗IMO · VGM ↗

Service availability and final scope require shipment-specific written review.