Incoterms DAP
Delivered at Place under Incoterms 2020: destination delivery, unloading, customs, risk exceptions and contractual limits.
Tags: commercial, delivery, incoterms
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Meaning and edition
DAP means Delivered at Place. Incoterms® 2020 delivery occurs at the agreed destination, goods available to the buyer on the arriving vehicle, ready for unloading. The seller ordinarily bears risk to that point. The buyer handles applicable import clearance, pays related import duties and taxes, and bears unloading risk. DAP applies to any transport mode. ICC, DAP explanatory notes 1–2, A2/A3, B7 and B9
The designation combines the rule, named destination and edition: DAP [named place or point of destination] Incoterms® 2020. In the D rules, this location identifies both destination and delivery. Omitting the edition leaves uncertainty about the applicable version; a precise point distinguishes locations within a larger site. ICC, Incoterms and Commercial Contracts, incorporation guidance
Carriage, unloading and customs
The main allocation is as follows. An airport, port, terminal or buyer’s premises can be the agreed destination; DAP does not inherently mean delivery to a factory door. Miguel Angel Bustamante Morales, ICC Academy DAP/DDP explanation, 25 February 2025
| Subject | DAP allocation |
|---|---|
| Carriage to the agreed destination | Seller arranges and pays. |
| Unloading from the final vehicle | Buyer bears unloading risk; unloading charges depend on the carriage contract. |
| Applicable export and transit formalities | Seller handles them; the rule distinguishes transit countries from the country of import. |
| Applicable import clearance | Buyer handles and pays for clearance and related import duties and taxes. |
Sources: ICC Academy, basic DAP obligations and ICC, DAP A7/B7 and B9.
Seller-account unloading charges under the carriage contract are not separately recoverable from the buyer unless otherwise agreed. This does not change the delivery event. ICC, DAP explanatory note 5 and A9/B9
Risk, exceptions and insurance
Ordinarily, seller risk ends at delivery. B3 exceptions cover resulting loss from buyer B7 failures and risk from the agreed date or period-end for missing B10 notice, provided goods are identified to the contract. B9 allocates specified additional costs. ICC, DAP A3/B3, B9 and B10
Neither party owes the other an insurance contract under A5/B5. Buyer information assistance applies at seller request, risk and cost; DAP alone establishes no insurance coverage. ICC, DAP A5/B5
Adjacent rules and contractual limits
DPU requires seller unloading before delivery; DAP delivery precedes unloading. The 2020 name DPU replaced DAT. ICC, 2020 changes
DDP assigns import clearance to the seller. Local restrictions can affect whether a foreign seller can perform it. ICC Academy, DAP/DDP comparative analysis
Incoterms allocate obligations, costs and goods risk between seller and buyer. They do not establish contract formation, ownership transfer, payment timing or currency, applicable law, tariff imposition or most delay remedies. Incorporation into a sale contract is necessary; the three letters alone do not resolve those matters. ICC, Incoterms and Commercial Contracts, scope and exclusions
Source coverage
This reference summarizes selected public ICC Digital Library DAP provisions and explanatory notes for the 2020 edition, alongside ICC’s overview. It does not reproduce or exhaust the full publication. The cited Academy article is a guest explanation whose stated views do not necessarily represent ICC or ICC Academy policy. Contract variations, actual destination points, carrier charges, insurance terms and jurisdiction-specific customs requirements remain transaction-specific.