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Parcel held at EU customs for a missing product identifier: checklist
From 1 November 2026 the EU requires product identifiers on customs declarations for goods sold at a distance to consumers and imported from outside the EU (Regulation (EU) 2026/1022, Article 2; Commission guidance §3.5.2 says effective enforcement starts on that date). If a declaration is rejected or a parcel is held, work through this list.
1. Find out which identifier was missing
Ask your carrier or customs representative which of the three fields failed: the merchant code (your SKU), the manufacturer code (maker's / supplier's model or part number), or the standardised barcode (GTIN/EAN/UPC). The two codes that are always required are the merchant code and the manufacturer code; the barcode is required only where one exists.
2. Supply it for the held shipment
- Merchant code: your SKU or the product listing reference for that exact item.
- Manufacturer code: the maker's model / part number. If you do not have it, ask the supplier now — template.
- Barcode: the 8, 12, 13 or 14-digit number under the barcode on the item or packaging. If the item genuinely has none, tell the carrier; declarations use the code
Y081to state that no standardised identifier exists.
3. Stop the next parcel from being held
- Export your Shopify products and run the free checker to see which rows are missing which code.
- Fix the merchant and barcode gaps yourself; send supplier questions for the manufacturer codes.
- Confirm with your carrier where they want the codes — commercial invoice line items, the shipping platform's item fields, or an API field — and send a test parcel.
Check your CSV free — first 25 rows
Questions
Which parcels are in scope?
Distance sales of goods imported into the EU and sold to consumers (business-to-consumer). Business-to-business shipments to a VAT-registered recipient are generally outside this requirement; confirm with your customs representative.
Is there a value threshold?
No. The product identifier requirement applies to in-scope consumer parcels regardless of value.
Who is responsible for supplying the codes?
The seller supplies the merchant code; the manufacturer, producer or supplier assigns the manufacturer code and, where one exists, the barcode; the declarant (usually the carrier or its broker) puts them on the declaration.