Sourcing · Incoterms, landed cost, risk

FOB vs CIF vs DAP vs DDP for Aluminium Profiles

In 2026 a mill-finish 2020 T-slot runs about US$1.80–2.60 per metre FOB Shanghai or Ningbo at a few hundred metres. FOB is cheapest on the invoice and most expensive in surprises; DDP is the opposite. The difference is who owns the risk between the factory gate and your door.

Four terms
FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP
Ports
Shanghai / Ningbo
What changes
Freight, insurance, clearance, duty
Read
9 minutes
Forklift loading bundled aluminium extrusions into an open shipping container at a port

Short answer

Under FOB the mill delivers the container onto the vessel at Shanghai or Ningbo; you buy ocean freight, insurance, destination fees, import clearance and duty. CIF adds seller-paid freight and minimum insurance to your port, but risk still passes at origin and you still clear customs. DAP delivers to your named place with import clearance and duty still yours. DDP includes duty and delivery, so the invoice is highest and the surprises are fewest. For the same 20 ft of 2020 profile in 2026, the goods line is identical; the spread between FOB and DDP is almost entirely logistics margin, insurance and duty handling. Payment stays T/T 30% deposit + 70% before shipment, or L/C at sight. Compare quotes only after every line is normalised to the same Incoterm and destination.

Wooden crate with foam and silver aluminium T-slot profiles prepared for export
Incoterm choice shifts who pays freight, insurance and import clearance — compare landed cost, not only EXW metre price.

How much is 100 m of 2020 profile FOB China

At 2026 FOB Shanghai or Ningbo, 100 m of mill-finish 2020 6063-T5 sits in the US$180–260 band for the metal and extrusion alone, before packing and documentation, provided the run is off an existing die.

Scale changes the number because billet changeover and die heat-up are fixed. At 500 m the same section typically lands nearer US$1.65–2.30/m FOB. At about 1 tonne (~1,800–2,000 m of 2020 at ~0.50–0.55 kg/m) the FOB band commonly compresses toward US$1.50–2.10/m. At 2 tonnes the step at 2,000 m and then 5,000 m on the price ladder matters more than the Incoterm label on the invoice.

Those bands assume mill finish, standard EN 755 tolerances, cut to stock lengths, and an existing die. Anodising, powder coating, CNC holes and a new die sit on separate lines. The MOQ is 150 m off an existing die and 500 m with a new die; below that you are in sample or surcharge territory, not the production FOB band.

QuantityApprox. weight2026 FOB band (USD)Notes
100 m of 2020~50–55 kgUS$180–260 goodsBelow preferred lot; existing die only
500 m of 2020~250–275 kgUS$825–1,150 goodsHits new-die MOQ and first price step
1 tonne of 20201,000 kgUS$2,800–3,800 goods~1,800–2,000 m depending on wall
2 tonnes of 20202,000 kgUS$5,200–7,200 goodsNear the 2,000 m / 5,000 m break points
Price steps—500 / 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 mSame ladder for other sections

FOB China means the number above is not your landed cost. Ocean freight for a partial container of light T-slot, marine insurance, destination THC, broker fees and duty sit outside the FOB line. Ask for the FOB goods price and the packing weight separately so your forwarder can price the rest.

What is the fastest way to specify a workbench in T-slot

The fastest comparable quote for a T-slot workbench is a cut list plus hardware bill, finish, Incoterm and destination — not a photograph of a bench and a request for “FOB price”.

Send the series (20 / 30 / 40 / 45), every length with quantity, the connector and caster part numbers or equivalents, the top material if we supply it, and whether the profiles are mill, anodised or powder-coated. State FOB Shanghai, CIF named port, DAP named place or DDP named door in the same line as the destination country. That single block lets the mill price metal and fabrication, and lets freight be added under one Incoterm instead of rebuilt three times.

FieldWhat to writeWhy it changes the quote
Series and sectione.g. 4040 / 4080 frame, 2020 braceskg/m and press class
Cut listLength × qty for every barScrap, saw time, packing length
HardwareT-nuts, brackets, feet, castersBought-in lines and packing volume
FinishMill / clear anodise / RAL coatFinishing MOQ and lead time
Incoterm + placeFOB Ningbo / CIF Hamburg / DAP Dallas / DDP doorWho pays freight, insurance, duty
PaymentT/T 30/70 or L/C at sightCash cycle, not the metal price

Is it cheaper to order 100 m in one shipment or split it

For 100 m of light T-slot, one consolidated shipment is almost always cheaper landed than two or three splits, because origin docs, destination entry and minimum LCL charges repeat on every sailing.

One hundred metres of 2020 is roughly a fiftieth of a 20 ft payload by weight. Split into two lots and you pay two sets of bill-of-lading fees, two broker entries and two minimum freight tickets, while the goods value stays the same. The only case where a split wins is when the second lot would otherwise sit as dead inventory past a design freeze, or when air for a short first cut unlocks a production line that sea cannot meet.

OptionGoods (FOB)Logistics patternWhen it wins
One sea shipmentFull 100 mOne B/L, one entry, one LCL minimumDefault for cost
Two sea splits of 50 mSame metalTwo minima, two entriesRarely; design risk only
Air sample + sea balanceSample surcharge + balance FOBAir premium on a few barsFit check before the lot sails
Hold to 150 m MOQExtra 50 m at lower unit FOBStill one sailingWhen the extra length has a use
Mix sections in one containerSeveral dies, one freightShared origin and entryWhen each die meets its own MOQ

What Incoterms do you support: FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP

We support FOB, CIF, DAP and DDP from Shanghai or Ningbo; the right term is the one that matches who already controls freight and who is willing to carry duty risk.

FOB is the clean default for importers with their own forwarder: we clear export and load the vessel; you buy freight, insurance and everything after. CIF adds ocean freight and a minimum cargo policy to your named port; you still clear import and pay duty, and risk still transferred when the goods crossed the ship’s rail at origin. DAP brings the cargo to your named place with import clearance and duty still on you. DDP puts clearance, duty and door delivery on the seller, which raises the invoice and removes most destination surprises.

Cost lineFOBCIFDAPDDP
Origin truck + export clearance + loadingSellerSellerSellerSeller
Ocean freightBuyerSellerSellerSeller
Marine insuranceBuyerSeller (minimum)SellerSeller
Destination port / terminal feesBuyerBuyerSellerSeller
Import clearanceBuyerBuyerBuyerSeller
Import duty + taxBuyerBuyerBuyerSeller
Inland delivery to doorBuyerBuyerSellerSeller
Risk during ocean transitBuyerBuyerSeller*Seller

*Under DAP the seller carries risk to the named place; under CIF the seller pays freight and insurance but risk already passed at origin — the claim sits with you on the seller’s policy. Always name the place: FOB Shanghai, CIF Rotterdam, DAP warehouse postcode, DDP door address.

Worked example — same 20 ft mixed T-slot lot, 2026 planning bands (USD). Goods FOB Shanghai US$12,000. Ocean to a US West Coast port about US$1,800–2,800. Insurance about US$80–180. Destination port and broker about US$500–900. Duty and tax depend on HS code and destination policy and are deliberately left as a buyer line under FOB/CIF/DAP. Illustrative totals before duty: FOB goods + your freight stack ~US$14,400–15,900; CIF invoice ~US$14,000–15,200 plus your destination fees; DAP door before duty often US$15,200–17,000; DDP door with duty inside commonly US$16,500–22,000+ depending on the duty line the seller has to fund. The goods never changed; only who priced which risk did.

What is the landed cost of profile by size

Landed cost for a given section is the FOB goods price plus the Incoterm stack for your destination; the table below is a 2026 FOB Shanghai/Ningbo reference per metre for mill-finish 6063 industrial T-slot at a few hundred metres, so you can add freight and duty once rather than once per size.

Use the FOB column as the goods seed. Add ocean, insurance and destination under your chosen term. Duty is destination-specific and must come from your broker’s HS reading, not from a blog table. Price steps at 500 m, 2,000 m, 5,000 m and 10,000 m move the FOB seed before freight is applied.

SectionCircumscribed circleTypeReference price (USD)Notes
2020~28 mmLight T-slotUS$1.80–2.60/m FOBLanded = FOB + freight/duty stack
3030~42 mmLight T-slotUS$2.80–3.90/m FOBCommon workbench upright
4040~57 mmStandard T-slotUS$4.20–5.80/m FOBHighest volume industrial size
4080~89 mmRectangular T-slotUS$7.20–9.80/m FOBHeavier frame rails
4545~64 mm45-seriesUS$5.40–7.40/m FOBMetric-system frames
4590~101 mm45-series wideUS$9.50–12.80/m FOBWatch press class / packing length
5050~71 mm50-seriesUS$7.00–9.50/m FOBHeavier slot hardware
8080~113 mmHeavy T-slotUS$12.50–17.00/m FOBFreight share rises with kg/m
9090~127 mmHeavy T-slotUS$16.00–22.00/m FOBOften near full-container planning
100100~141 mmHeavy structuralUS$20.00–28.00/m FOBConfirm press and packing
16080~179 mmWide structuralUS$18.00–26.00/m FOBLarge circumscribed circle

RFQ checklist — Incoterm quote

  • Section and alloy — e.g. 4040 6063-T5, mill or anodised.
  • Metres and cut list — total metres and finished lengths.
  • Incoterm + named place — FOB Shanghai / CIF … / DAP … / DDP …
  • Destination — country, port or door postcode.
  • Payment — T/T 30/70 or L/C at sight.
  • Existing die or new — 150 m vs 500 m MOQ.

Ask for the FOB goods line and the Incoterm adders as separate figures. That is the only way to compare a CIF quote with a FOB quote from another mill.

Four ways an Incoterm quote goes wrong

Comparing FOB to DDP as unit pricesThe cheaper invoice is not the cheaper landed cost until freight, insurance and duty sit on both sides.
CIF mistaken for seller riskUnder CIF the seller pays freight and minimum insurance; risk already passed at origin. File claims yourself.
Unnamed place“FOB China” or “DDP Europe” is not an Incoterm. Name the port, warehouse or door.
Duty guessed inside a DDP numberIf the seller underestimates duty, the cargo stalls while the gap is argued. Demand the duty assumption in writing.

Related on this site

Terms used in this article

FOB
Free On Board: seller loads at the named origin port; buyer takes freight, insurance and destination risk from that point.
CIF
Cost, Insurance and Freight: seller pays ocean freight and minimum insurance to the named port; buyer still clears import and bears transit risk from origin.
DAP
Delivered At Place: seller delivers to the named place; import clearance and duty remain with the buyer.
DDP
Delivered Duty Paid: seller delivers cleared, duty paid, to the named place.
Landed cost
Goods plus every cost required to receive sellable profile at the final place, including freight, insurance, clearance and duty.
LCL
Less than container load: shared container service with minimum charges that hurt small splits.

Questions buyers ask

What is included in the quoted price?

State the Incoterm in the quote. An FOB Shanghai figure covers profiles, export packing, inland China trucking to the port, export clearance and loading. It excludes ocean freight, insurance, destination fees, import clearance and duty. CIF adds freight and minimum insurance to the named port. DAP and DDP add further destination legs as defined above. Finishing and CNC are separate lines unless listed.

Do you charge for samples?

Cut samples from an existing die are usually charged at a short-run metre rate plus express freight, not at the production FOB band. A new-die sample still needs the die and the 500 m production MOQ logic behind it; a paid pilot length can be agreed before the bulk lot sails under the same Incoterm you will use for production.

How long is the quotation valid?

Goods lines are typically held 14–30 days in 2026 because billet tracks the metal market. Freight adders under CIF, DAP and DDP follow the carrier market and may be shorter. Ask for the validity on the goods line and the freight line separately when the Incoterm bundles them.

Can the price be fixed for a contract?

A call-off contract can fix the conversion and fabrication adder with a published billet index for the metal, and can lock an Incoterm and named place. Ocean freight under CIF/DAP/DDP is usually indexed or re-quoted per sailing. Payment remains T/T 30/70 or L/C at sight unless the contract states otherwise.

Also searched as: FOB vs CIF aluminium profiles, DAP vs DDP extrusion China, landed cost aluminium profile to US, FOB Shanghai T-slot price, CIF Ningbo aluminium extrusion, Incoterms for aluminium import, who pays duty aluminium profiles.

Send the Incoterm and the cut list

Tell us the section, metres, finish, and whether you want FOB Shanghai/Ningbo, CIF, DAP or DDP to a named place. We will separate the goods line from the freight stack so you can compare mills honestly.

Request a quote

Related reading

Twelve more engineering notes from this blog, picked for this article — plus every category below.

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