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Where is the manufacturer product identifier in a Shopify export?
Short answer: there is no column made for it. The standard Shopify product CSV has Variant SKU (your code) and a barcode column for the retail barcode (Variant Barcodes in a real export from our own store on 25 September 2026). Shopify's help page and sample files also show a Google Shopping MPN (manufacturer part number) column, but a real export from our own store on 25 September 2026 had no Google Shopping columns at all, even though the test products had MPN values, so don't count on it. EU customs calls the code the maker or supplier uses for the item the non-standardised manufacturer product identifier and, from 1 November 2026, expects it on consumer parcels.
The three codes, mapped to Shopify
| EU customs term | Plain meaning | Shopify column |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant product identifier (M-PID) | Your own code for the item | Variant SKU |
| Non-standardised manufacturer product identifier (NS-PID) | The maker's or supplier's own model / part / article number | No column made for it. A Google Shopping MPN column appears in Shopify's sample files, but our own test export had none |
| Standardised manufacturer product identifier (S-PID) | GTIN / EAN / UPC / ISBN — the retail barcode | Variant Barcodes (Variant Barcode or Barcode in Shopify's sample files) |
What to do
- Decide where the maker's code will live. Options: a variant metafield (edit it in the bulk editor; it does not appear in the product CSV), or a separate spreadsheet keyed by SKU that you keep next to the export. If your export happens to include a Google Shopping MPN column, check that each variant row has its own value. Shopify's documentation says a defined product metafield appears in the CSV; in Shopify's sample file it holds one value per product, on the first row, so it cannot give each size or colour its own code.
- Collect the codes from suppliers. Ask for the model / part / article number for each variant, not just the product. Use this email template.
- Do not substitute by guessing. The vendor name is not the maker's code and a reseller's SKU is not the maker's code. A barcode may serve as the maker's code only when the manufacturer or supplier actually uses it as their product code (guidance 3.5.4).
- Check what you already have. Run your export through the free checker to see blank SKUs and bad barcodes while you wait for suppliers.
Check your CSV free — first 25 rows
Questions
Can I use the barcode as the manufacturer identifier?
Only if the manufacturer or supplier uses the barcode as its own product code — the Commission guidance (section 3.5.4) allows that. Otherwise the manufacturer identifier is a separate value: the maker's model or part number.
What if the supplier says they have no code?
Ask for whatever they use internally on invoices or packing lists — a model, article or part number. If there is truly none, record that answer; the rule expects a code from the manufacturer, producer or supplier, and your carrier or customs representative can advise on that case.
Does Google Shopping / MPN work?
Only if your export includes it. Shopify's help page and sample files show the column, but a real export from our own store on 25 September 2026 had no Google Shopping columns at all, even though the test products had MPN values. If your export does include it, check whether each variant row has its own value; older sample files fill it once per product, on the first row.