What is DDP Shipping and Why It Matters for Your Cannabis Packaging Order

If you've ever ordered DDP shipping for cannabis packaging overseas and gotten hit with unexpected customs fees at the port, this one's for you.

DDP shipping means one price, no surprises - all duties and freight included to your door.

What does DDP mean?

DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. It means your supplier covers everything — production, freight, customs clearance, import duties, and delivery to your door. You get one price and that's what you pay. No surprises.

The alternative is EXW or FOB pricing, which gives you a lower quoted price but leaves you responsible for arranging freight, paying import duties, and handling customs clearance on your end. For most cannabis brands that don't have a dedicated logistics team, that's a headache they don't need.

Why it matters for cannabis packaging specifically

Cannabis packaging often involves specialized materials — aluminum laminates, child resistant mechanisms, specific coatings. Getting the classification right at customs matters. If something gets flagged or held, your production timeline falls apart and your launch gets pushed.

When you're working with a supplier who handles DDP, that's their problem to solve, not yours. They've done it before, they know the right codes, and they have relationships with freight forwarders who move this stuff regularly.

The real cost of cheap shipping quotes

A lot of brands get excited about a low EXW unit price and don't think about what happens when the shipment lands. Import duties on packaging materials from China typically run between 5% and 25% depending on the product category. That $0.10 per unit bag you thought you were getting can end up costing $0.14 or more once everything clears.

At 50,000 units that's a $2,000 surprise you weren't budgeting for.

What to ask your supplier

Before you accept any quote, ask: is this DDP or EXW? If it's EXW, ask them to quote DDP to your warehouse zip code so you're comparing apples to apples.

At Silk Road Supply Co. every order ships DDP. What you're quoted is what you pay. If you want a quote on your next packaging run, fill out the form and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.