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Email template: asking a supplier for product codes
Most sellers can fill the merchant code and barcode themselves. The maker's code has to come from the supplier. Send one clear request per supplier with a list of the exact items.
The email
Subject: Product codes needed for EU customs declarations (from 1 November 2026)
Hello [supplier name],
From 1 November 2026, EU customs declarations for goods we sell to consumers in the EU must carry two product identifiers per item: our own product code, and your own product code for each item (the model, part or article number you use on invoices or packing lists). Where an item has a retail barcode (EAN / UPC / GTIN), customs also asks for it. (Regulation (EU) 2026/1022; Commission customs guidance, section 3.5.)
Could you fill in the attached list for the items we buy from you? Two columns: your product code and barcode (if any). If an item has no barcode, please write "none". Please give a separate code (and barcode, if any) for each size and colour.
Thank you — this keeps our shipments from being held at customs.
[Your name, store, contact]
The attachment (columns)
| Our SKU | Product | Variant | Your product code (model / part no.) | Barcode (EAN/UPC), or "none" | Source (spec sheet, invoice…) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TW-BGVL3-10 | Boxing gloves | 10 oz |
The paid TITANTH Catalog Check generates this sheet from your Shopify export, grouped by vendor, with the rows that need answers already filtered.
What to do with the answers
- Record the value and where it came from (which document, which date). If customs or a carrier questions a code later, you have the trail.
- Do not "improve" a code. Enter it exactly as the supplier wrote it.
- If a supplier gives one code for a whole product but you ship several variants, ask whether the items themselves differ (size, colour, packaging). If they do, ask for a code for each variant: the Commission guidance (section 3.5.3) describes each identifier as referring to exactly one product variant. If they do not, record the supplier's confirmation that the items are identical.
Build supplier sheets from your export — US$59
Questions
What if the supplier is a trading company, not the factory?
The rule refers to the manufacturer, producer or supplier. A code assigned by your supplier for the item is acceptable as the non-standardised identifier; keep a note of who assigned it.
Should I buy GS1 barcodes to fill the gap?
Only if you need barcodes for retail or marketplaces anyway. The EU rule does not require you to create a barcode; if none exists the declaration uses Y081 to say so.