Import rules guidance helps Amazon sellers choose between DDP and DAP as holiday shipping deadlines arrive

SHENZHEN, China – October 13, 2026 – FCLGO, a China-based freight forwarder serving Amazon FBA sellers, today published guidance on choosing between DDP and DDP-adjacent import arrangements for fourth-quarter shipments. The advisory arrives as two clocks converge: Black Friday ocean dispatch deadlines in mid-October, and the first full holiday season conducted under suspended de minimis entry, which ended duty-free treatment for packages under 800 dollars in August 2025 — a suspension continued by executive order in February 2026.

Under the post-de-minimis rules, every commercial import into the United States clears customs with duty assessed. For sellers shipping from China, that raises a structural question with a hard deadline attached: who clears the goods and pays the duty — the seller, or the freight forwarder under DDP, Delivered Duty Paid.

“The de minimis change quietly rewrote the decision tree for small importers,” said David Chen, Director of Operations at FCLGO. “Before August 2025, many e-commerce sellers never signed a customs document. This Q4, every one of them is an importer of record by choice or by default. The guidance we published walks through what DDP actually covers, what DAP leaves with the buyer, and why the answer differs by shipment size.”

FCLGO’s guidance outlines the dividing line between the two arrangements. Under DDP, a forwarder manages export clearance in China, freight, United States import entry, duties and fees, and final delivery — with the importer arrangement disclosed in writing. Under DAP, goods arrive delivered but uncleared: the buyer files the entry through a broker and pays duty directly. The company advises sellers without a customs broker or importer setup to treat the roughly 10 to 20 percent DDP premium as an operating cost, while volume importers holding their own entry bonds typically clear cargo themselves.

The guidance also details Amazon-specific constraints. Amazon fulfillment centers receive inventory but do not act as importer of record and do not pay duties, which makes a defined import arrangement a precondition for any FBA replenishment shipment.

With ocean freight from China to U.S. West Coast fulfillment centers typically requiring 25 to 40 days door to door, FCLGO restated its fourth-quarter dispatch windows: ocean shipments for Black Friday availability should leave China by mid-October; air freight remains viable into early November; and with Lunar New Year falling early, on February 6, 2027, pre-holiday replenishment should dispatch by early January.

“Sellers do not get to choose whether customs happens — only who handles it,” Chen added. “That choice, made this week, decides whether inventory is on shelves for Black Friday.”

About FCLGO
Founded in 2021, FCLGO is a specialized Amazon FBA freight forwarder. The company provides comprehensive ocean and air freight services from China to the United States, including customs brokerage, warehousing, and FBA prep services. FCLGO supports over 500 e-commerce brands worldwide, offering end-to-end logistics solutions tailored to the unique requirements of the Amazon ecosystem.

More information about FCLGO and its Q4 shipping guidance is available at fclgo.com.

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Disclaimer
This press release is intended for media, brand communication, and general informational purposes only. Cost ranges reflect typical transit arrangements and may vary with carrier schedules, customs processing, and product classification.

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Company: FCLGO
Contact Person: David Chen
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Website: fclgo.com
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