Huayu International Logistics · China to USA
China-to-USA Freight Glossary
A practical China-to-USA freight glossary covering DDP, DAP, legacy DDU, AWB, chargeable weight, IOR, brokers, exams and SDS.
Short answer
A term becomes useful only when placed back into the shipment's roles, documents and charges. When a word is unclear, ask which role, milestone or cost it changes.
Terms in the shipment context
| Term | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid: an agreed delivery and import-duty responsibility arrangement. |
| DAP | Delivered At Place: delivery to the named place while import work commonly remains with the buyer. |
| DDU | A legacy term; it should not be treated as a simple synonym for DAP. |
| AWB | Air Waybill, the air transport document. |
| Chargeable weight | The charging basis after comparing actual and volumetric weight. |
| IOR | Importer of Record, the party responsible for entry and records. |
| Customs broker | The party engaged to assist with entry filing and customs communication. |
| Customs exam | A customs inspection that can require documents, time or extra charges. |
| SDS | Safety Data Sheet, required for some chemicals or regulated cargo. |
For shipment-specific DDP responsibility, see the DDP service page; to prepare inputs, use the quote page.