EU product identifiers become mandatory for low-value e-commerce imports (Nov 1, 2026)

Key dates

• Jul 1, 2026

  The temporary €3 customs duty per item on low-value consignments (up to €150) started. Product identifiers could be declared on a voluntary basis from this date.

  Source: European Commission: Guidance and legal text on temporary flat fee on low-value imports

• Nov 1, 2026

  Product identifiers become mandatory. The Commission's guidance says: "Effective enforcement starts from 1 November 2026."

  Source: European Commission guidance on the temporary EUR 3 customs duty (PDF, Version of 5 October 2026), section 8.2

• Jul 1, 2028

  The Commission lists the EU Customs Data Hub for e-commerce from this date. Dutch Customs describes product identifier reporting as a temporary measure until then.

  Source: European Commission news · Dutch Customs: Including product identifiers in your e-commerce declaration

Plain-English summary

The EU ended the customs duty exemption for parcels worth up to €150 and, from July 1, 2026, charges a temporary €3 customs duty per item on most of those low-value imports. The European Commission says product identifiers become mandatory on November 1, 2026. Its guidance (Version of 5 October 2026) says the requirement "applies to all goods sold in distance sales of imported goods with an intrinsic value not exceeding EUR 150 as from 1 November 2026", that it applies mainly to goods sold to consumers (B2C), and that business-to-business shipments are in principle not concerned. The Commission also says it is amending the legal text to make the €150 limit explicit, so check the current version.

The guidance names three identifiers for each product: a merchant product identifier assigned by the online seller, marketplace or platform (always required); a non-standardised manufacturer product identifier (always required); and a standardised manufacturer identifier such as an EAN barcode, only where one exists. If none exists, the declaration says so with code Y081. The guidance says whoever lodges the customs declaration (you, your platform, your carrier or a customs agent) must provide the product identifiers to customs, so if a carrier or customs agent declares for you, ask them what product data they need from you.

What to check

• Which of your products ship to consumers in the EU, and who declares those parcels to customs (you, your marketplace, your carrier or a customs agent).
• Whether every product variant has its own unique code (for example a SKU) that never changes and is not shared with another variant.
• Whether you have the manufacturer's own product code and, where one exists, a valid barcode (EAN/GTIN) for each variant.
• What your carrier or customs agent asks you to send, and in which format, before November 1, 2026.

Sources

European Commission: The temporary EUR 3 customs duty and the Union handling fee, Guidance for Member States and Trade (PDF, Version of 5 October 2026) · European Commission news: Guidance and legal text on temporary flat fee on low-value imports · Dutch Customs: Including product identifiers in your e-commerce declaration

The Commission says its guidance is explanatory and not legally binding. Checked Oct 20, 2026.

Copy-paste prompt for any AI agent

I sell products online from outside the EU and ship some orders to consumers in the EU. The European Commission says that from November 1, 2026, customs declarations for goods sold in distance sales with an intrinsic value up to EUR 150 must include product identifiers: a merchant product identifier, a non-standardised manufacturer product identifier, and a standardised one (such as an EAN) where it exists. Please help me check where we stand:
1. Make a checklist table of every product variant we ship to the EU (name, our SKU, manufacturer product code, barcode yes/no).
2. Mark any variant with a missing SKU, a SKU shared with another variant, or no manufacturer code.
3. List who declares our EU parcels to customs (us, our marketplace, our carrier or a customs agent) and give me a short message asking them what product data they need from us and in what format.
4. Remind me to read the European Commission's own guidance for the current rules.
5. Set up reminders for October 23 and October 29, 2026. (These reminder dates are my choice, not the EU's.)
Do not change any product data, listings or settings. Do not ask me for passwords and do not log in to any account. Only list what I should check and I will decide.
When you state any deadline or date, quote the exact line from the European Commission's own pages that states it. If you cannot find that line, say "no deadline line found" instead of guessing.

Not advice

General guidance, not legal, tax, customs or IT advice. Check the European Commission's own pages and ask your carrier or customs agent for your case. Not affiliated with the European Commission, any customs authority or Shopify. Names are used only to describe compatibility.