What does DDU mean?
Incoterms are published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which revises and updates them every ten years. In 2010, four incoterms were removed from the list: DAF (Delivered At Frontier), DES (Delivered Ex Ship), DEQ (Delivered Ex Quay), and DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). All of them were replaced by DAP (Delivered At Place) incoterm.
Although DDU incoterms are not official anymore since the ICC revised the incoterms in 2010, some businesses are still using them.
DDU stands for Delivered Duty Unpaid, and this incoterm specifies that the seller is responsible for managing the goods from the origin point to the delivery at a designated place in the destination country. He also pays for all transportation charges and assumes all the risks during transport. On the other hand, the buyer has to unload the goods and pay for import charges.
Like DAP incoterm, DDU is used for its simplicity and convenience, especially for the buyer who has few responsibilities. The seller is the one handling most of the shipping process, which offers cost transparency to the buyer who can budget effectively.