Start with the supplier’s EXW or FOB unit price
Where the unit price comes from on Alibaba
The number on the supplier’s quote is the product unit price, usually EXW, ex works, or FOB, free on board. It covers the goods and factory packing, nothing after the factory gate. This is your starting point for any landed-cost math.
Why the factory quote is never your landed price
Buyers compare EXW prices and assume that is what they pay. It is not. Freight, duty, and clearance sit on top, and for small or medium orders they can add 20 to 60 percent. The gap between EXW and landed is exactly what a DDP calculation closes.
The three DDP cost lines you add, the calculator inputs
International freight, per kg or CBM
Air or sea freight from China to your destination, priced by chargeable weight or cubic meter. This is the largest and most variable line. The DDP cost breakdown explains what drives it. For now, treat it as a per-shipment number, not a per-unit one yet.
Import duty and taxes by HS code and destination
Duty is a percentage of declared value set by your destination country and the product’s HS code. Some countries add VAT or GST on top. Same product, different destination, very different duty, which is why the unit price moves when you change where you ship.
Despacho de aduanas y tramitación
Customs brokerage, documentation, and terminal handling. Small in absolute terms but mandatory, and easy to forget when you only estimated freight. Add it as a flat line per shipment.
Worked example, from EXW to landed DDP unit price
Step 1, total freight
Example: 500 units, chargeable weight 110 kg, air freight 6.50 dollars per kg equals 715 dollars. This is one shipment, so it is a single freight line regardless of how many suppliers fed the consolidation.
Step 2, duty and tax
Declared value 2,000 dollars, destination United States, HS duty 3 percent equals 60 dollars. No VAT at US import for this example. If you ship to the EU or UK, add VAT on top of duty, which the same method handles, just a larger number.
Step 3, divide by order quantity
Add product 2,000 dollars plus freight 715 dollars plus duty 60 dollars plus clearance 45 dollars equals 2,820 dollars total landed. Divide by 500 units and the DDP unit price is 5.64 dollars. That is the number to compare against a domestic supplier, not the 4.00 dollars EXW quote.
The landed DDP unit price
5.64 dollars per unit is the all-in cost delivered to your door with duty paid. It is the only number that lets you price your product or judge whether the Alibaba order is worth it. Everything before this step was an input. This is the answer.
DDP vs DAP, what changes in the number
Why DDP looks higher but lands cleaner
A DDP quote bundles freight, duty, and clearance into one number, so it looks higher than a bare EXW or DAP price. But the DAP price hides the duty and clearance you pay later. The DAP vs DDP guide shows the side-by-side. For the calculator, the practical rule is: DDP gives you one landed unit price, DAP gives you a lower headline and a second bill.
When a bare DAP price still makes sense
If you already have a customs broker and import regularly, DAP can be cheaper because you control clearance and avoid the forwarder’s margin on duty. For first-time importers without that setup, the second bill and the risk usually outweigh the saving. Pick DAP only when you know exactly what arrives after the port.
How the unit price drops as volume rises
Consolidation and MOQ effects
Freight has a minimum charge, so small orders pay proportionally more per unit. As quantity rises, that fixed freight spreads thinner, and negotiating a higher MOQ often lowers the EXW price too. Both push the DDP unit price down. The Guía de consolidación y el MOQ guide cover the levers in detail.
The order size where freight stops dominating
Below roughly a few hundred kilos, the freight minimum charge is a large share of unit cost. Past that point, per-kilo rates apply and the freight line flattens as a percentage. That threshold is where consolidation and a larger first order start to pay for themselves.
Mistakes that break the DDP calculation
Forgetting the declared-value duty base
Duty is charged on declared value, not on what you paid under the table. Under-declaring creates a wrong unit price and a customs risk. Use the real commercial value so the calculation holds up if inspected.
Mixing up chargeable versus actual weight
Air freight bills on chargeable weight, whichever is larger between actual and volumetric. A light but bulky carton can bill at double its real weight. The calculadora de gastos de envío walks through the volumetric formula. If you skip it, your freight line and your DDP unit price will both be too low.
Preguntas frecuentes
Can I calculate the DDP unit price before production?
Yes, with estimates for freight, duty rate, and clearance. The number firms up once you have weights, the HS code, and the destination. It is accurate enough to judge the order before you commit.
Does the DDP unit price include the product cost?
Yes. It is total landed cost, product plus freight plus duty plus clearance, divided by order quantity. That is what makes it comparable to a domestic supplier’s price.
Why does my DDP unit price change by destination?
Duty rates and VAT differ by country and HS code. The same 500 units can land at a very different unit price in the US, the EU, or Australia.
Is a DDP calculator as accurate as a real quote?
Close. A calculator exposes the structure and a realistic range. A forwarder quote confirms the exact rates for your lane and weight. Use the calculator to plan, the quote to book.
What Incoterm should the draft order show for DDP?
DDP, stated explicitly, so duty and clearance are the forwarder’s responsibility. The Guía sobre cómo realizar un pedido en Alibaba shows where that term goes in the draft.