DPU: Delivered at Place Unloaded (Incoterms® 2020)
DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) means the seller delivers the goods unloaded at the named destination; it is the only Incoterms rule where the seller unloads. Delivery and risk pass once the goods are unloaded, and the buyer clears import.
Quick facts
Where risk and costs pass from the seller to the buyer
SellerBuyer
How to write it
DPU + the exact place of unloading + Incoterms 2020, for example: DPU Buyer's warehouse dock 3, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Incoterms 2020.
What the seller does
- Clears the goods for export.
- Contracts and pays transport to the named place.
- Unloads the goods there and carries the risk until they are unloaded.
- Gives the buyer the documents it needs to take delivery.
What the buyer does
- Makes sure the goods can be unloaded at the named place.
- Takes the risk once the goods are unloaded.
- Clears the goods for import and pays duties and taxes.
- Arranges onward transport from the place of delivery.
When to use it
Use DPU when the seller can arrange unloading at the destination, for example through its own agent or with a carrier that unloads. It can be any place, not only a terminal.
Common mistakes
- Choosing DPU when the seller has no way to unload at the destination, such as a site without equipment.
- Confusing it with DDP. DPU does not include import clearance or duties.
- Still writing DAT, which no longer exists in Incoterms 2020.
DPU vs DAP
Both deliver at the destination. Under DAP the goods are delivered ready for unloading and the buyer unloads; under DPU the seller unloads and bears that risk.
Seller and buyer obligations, article by article (A1–A10 / B1–B10)
Incoterms 2020 gives each side ten matching articles. Here they are in plain language; the ICC text and your contract decide.
| Seller (A) | Buyer (B) | |
|---|---|---|
| A1/B1 General obligations | Provide the goods and the commercial invoice as the contract requires, plus any other proof of conformity it asks for. Documents may be paper or electronic if agreed or customary. | Pay the price as the contract requires. Documents may be paper or electronic if agreed or customary. |
| A2/B2 Delivery and taking delivery | Unload the goods from the arriving means of transport and place them at the buyer's disposal at the agreed point, if any, at the named place of destination, on the agreed date or within the agreed period. | Take delivery once the goods have been unloaded at the named place. |
| A3/B3 Transfer of risks | Bears all risk until the goods are unloaded at the named place, including during unloading. | Bears all risk from delivery. It also bears the resulting risks if it fails to clear the goods for import, and the risk from the agreed date if it fails to give notice, once the goods are identified. |
| A4/B4 Carriage | Contract or arrange, at its own cost, the carriage to the named place of destination, or to the agreed point there; it may also use its own transport. | No obligation to the seller. |
| A5/B5 Insurance | No obligation to the buyer to insure. The seller bears the risk until the goods are unloaded, so it usually insures the transport for itself. | No obligation to the seller. On request, give the seller the information it needs to buy insurance. |
| A6/B6 Delivery or transport document | Provide, at its cost, any document the buyer needs to take over the goods. | Accept that document. |
| A7/B7 Export and import clearance | Carry out and pay for export clearance and the formalities of any transit country before import. Where applicable, help the buyer, at its request, risk and cost, with documents and information for import clearance. | Carry out and pay for import clearance, import licences, duties and taxes. |
| A8/B8 Checking, packaging, marking | Pay for the checks (quality, measuring, weighing, counting) needed to deliver, and pack and mark the goods for the transport, unless the trade customarily ships them unpacked or the parties agreed specific packing. | No obligation to the seller. |
| A9/B9 Allocation of costs | Pay all costs until delivery, including the transport, unloading at the named place, and export and transit clearance. | Pay all costs from delivery, import duties and taxes, and extra costs if it fails to clear the goods for import or give notice. |
| A10/B10 Notices | Give the buyer any notice it needs to take delivery. | If entitled to decide the time or the point of taking delivery at the named place, give the seller sufficient notice. |
A plain-language summary of Incoterms® 2020 for everyday use. The full rules are published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and your contract wording decides. Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the ICC.
All 11 Incoterms 2020 rules
Guides on this topic
Common questions
What is the full form and meaning of DPU?
DPU stands for Delivered at Place Unloaded, one of the 11 Incoterms® 2020 rules. Transport: Any mode. Delivery and risk pass to the buyer: At the named destination, unloaded. Main freight paid by: Seller. Insurance: Not required. Export clearance: Seller. Import clearance and duties: Buyer.
What happened to DAT?
DAT (Delivered at Terminal) from Incoterms 2010 was renamed DPU in 2020, and the place can now be anywhere the goods can be unloaded, not only a terminal.
Does DPU include import clearance?
No. Under DPU the buyer clears the goods for import and pays duties and taxes. Only DDP puts import clearance on the seller.
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