Overview
- As of 1 November 2026, Product Identifiers will become a mandatory customs data element for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) goods imported into the European Union (EU27).
- To support customs clearance, Product Identifiers must be provided at line-item level as part of the customs declaration. This requirement forms part of the EU Customs Reform (EUCR) programme.
- Customers shipping B2C goods from non-EU countries into the EU27 may experience customs clearance delays if the required Product Identifier information is not provided.
Who is affected?
These requirements apply to customers shipping Business-to-Consumer (B2C) goods from non-EU origin countries into EU27 destinations using DHL Express services.
What's changing?
To support these requirements, DHL Express Commerce now includes the following Product Identifier fields within shipment line item data and the Product Catalogue:
- Merchant Product ID
- Manufacturer Product ID
- Standardised Product ID
How can I provide Product Identifiers?
DHL Express Commerce supports Product Identifiers through multiple methods, allowing you to choose the approach that best fits your workflow.
You can provide Product Identifiers through:
- Manual entry when creating or editing an order
- Product Catalogue maintenance
- Shopify integrations
- CSV imports
Regardless of how the data is provided, we recommend reviewing your product information to ensure Product Identifiers are accurate and complete before shipping.
Where can I find the fields?
Shipment Orders
The new Product ID fields are available within the Customs Information section when creating or editing an item.
Navigation:
Open an Order > Items > Edit Item > Customs Information
The fields appear alongside your existing customs information, including:
- HS Code
- Manufacturer ID (MID)
- Brand
- Model
- Usage
Product Catalogue
The Product ID fields are also available within your Product Catalogue.
Maintaining Product Identifiers at product level allows DHL Express Commerce to automatically apply the information to future shipments that use the same products.
We recommend maintaining Product Identifier information within your Product Catalogue wherever possible, as this helps ensure product data remains accurate and consistent across all shipments.
More information on managing the product catalogue can be found here
Understanding the new Product ID fields
Merchant Product ID
A Merchant Product ID is typically the identifier used by your business to uniquely identify a product.
Examples include:
- Product SKU
- Internal product code
- Merchant-specific catalogue code
Behaviour:
- If a Merchant Product ID is provided, the entered value will be used.
- If no Merchant Product ID is provided, but a product SKU is provided, DHL Express Commerce will automatically use the product SKU as a fallback.
No additional configuration is required to use this fallback behaviour.
Manufacturer Product ID
A Manufacturer Product ID is the identifier assigned to a product by the manufacturer or brand owner.
Examples include:
- Manufacturer product codes
- Style numbers
- Model numbers
- Part numbers
Behaviour:
- If a Manufacturer Product ID is provided, the entered value will be included in the customs data.
- If no Manufacturer Product ID is provided, no value will be sent.
There is no automatic fallback for this field.
Standardised Product ID
A Standardised Product ID is a globally recognised product identifier.
Examples include:
- GTIN
- EAN
- UPC
- ISBN
Behaviour:
- If a Standardised Product ID is provided, the entered value will be used.
- If left blank, DHL Express Commerce can automatically use the product Barcode as a fallback.
- Barcode fallback is enabled by default for all accounts
- If Barcode fallback has been disabled and no Standardised Product ID is provided, no value will be sent.
If you would like to change whether Barcodes are used as a fallback Standardised Product ID, navigate to:
Settings > Couriers > DHL Express Settings > Advanced > Customs Invoice > Use barcode as Standardised Product ID
Example
The three Product Identifier fields often contain different values for the same product.
For example:
| Field | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Merchant Product ID | TEE-NAVY-M |
| Manufacturer Product ID | STYLE-240-M |
| Standardised Product ID | 9341234567890 (EAN) |
Each identifier serves a different purpose and may come from different sources.
Product Identifier Fallback Behaviour
| Field | If completed | If left blank |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant Product ID | Entered value is used | SKU is used automatically |
| Manufacturer Product ID | Entered value is used | Nothing is sent |
| Standardised Product ID | Entered value is used | Barcode is used (default setting, can be disabled) |
Importing Product Identifiers
You can add identifiers directly from the platforms below, or use Product Catalogue to supply them by SKU for orders imported from other platforms.
| Platform or method | What Starshipit imports | How to set it up |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Classic and Shopify Enhanced | All three IDs from product or variant metafields. A populated variant value takes priority for each ID. | Enable Import EU product identifier metafields under Settings > Integrations > Shopify > Advanced > Field Mapping. Use the custom.merchant_product_id, custom.manufacturer_product_id and custom.standardised_product_id metafields. Follow Shopify identifier setup. |
| Adobe Commerce (Magento 2) |
manufacturer_sku into Manufacturer Product ID; upc into Barcode for courier fallback. |
Uses fixed product-attribute mappings with no separate switch. The purchased variant's manufacturer code takes priority, with parent fallback when blank. Barcode comes from the purchased variant only. Follow Adobe Commerce attribute setup. |
| Peoplevox | All three IDs from your selected item attributes. | Map each Import … Product ID from setting to ItemType > Attribute 1–15. Each defaults to Do not import. Values are imported with despatched order items. Follow Peoplevox identifier mapping. |
| Brightpearl | Product Barcode, which supported couriers can use as the standardised identifier. | Use Product Catalogue to supply the three dedicated IDs by matching SKU. Follow Brightpearl connection setup. |
| Other connected platforms | All three IDs from matching Product Catalogue entries. | Save the IDs against each SKU and enable catalogue population during order import, as described below. |
Shopify and Adobe Commerce identifier imports apply to newly imported orders. Peoplevox mappings apply when despatched item data is sent. Saving source values or import settings does not backfill earlier orders or populate Product Catalogue.
CSV Imports
Product Identifiers can be imported using the latest DHL Express Commerce CSV templates.
Supported import methods include:
- Order CSV imports
- Product Catalogue CSV imports
Supported Product Identifier fields include:
- Merchant Product ID
- Manufacturer Product ID
- Standardised Product ID
Do I need to update my products?
Not necessarily.
DHL Express Commerce includes fallback behaviour for certain fields:
- SKU can be used as the Merchant Product ID.
- Barcode can be used as the Standardised Product ID (where enabled).
However, if you have more accurate Product ID information available, we recommend populating the new fields directly to ensure customs authorities receive the most precise product information possible.
Why is this important?
Providing accurate product identifiers can help:
- Support compliance with upcoming EU Customs Reform requirements.
- Improve product identification during customs processing.
- Reduce the likelihood of customs delays caused by incomplete product information.
- Improve the quality and accuracy of international shipment data.
As customs requirements continue to evolve, maintaining complete and accurate product information will become increasingly important for international shipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to populate all three fields?
Under EU Customs Reform, Merchant Product ID and Manufacturer Product ID are expected customs data elements for applicable B2C shipments into the EU27.
Where Merchant Product ID is not populated, DHL Express Commerce will automatically use the product SKU where available. No automatic fallback exists for Manufacturer Product ID, so we recommend reviewing your Product Catalogue and populating this field where possible.
That prevents customers spotting an apparent contradiction.
Can I use my existing Brand, Model or MID values instead?
What happens if I don't enter a Standardised Product ID?
Can the Merchant Product ID and Manufacturer Product ID be the same?
Yes.
In some cases, the same identifier may legitimately be used by both the merchant and manufacturer. If this is correct for your product, the same value can be entered into both fields.
I import orders using CSV files. Can I provide Product Identifiers?
Yes.
The latest DHL Express Commerce CSV templates support:
- Merchant Product ID
- Manufacturer Product ID
- Standardised Product ID
These fields can be imported through both Order CSV and Product Catalogue CSV imports.
What happens if I do not enter a Merchant Product ID?
What happens if I do not enter a Manufacturer Product ID?
Need help?
If you have questions about EU Customs Reform requirements or would like assistance reviewing your product data, please don't hesitate to reach out by using our Submit a ticket feature. Please ensure you are logged into the dashboard to access this page. Our local DHL Express Commerce experts would be happy to hear from you.
We recommend reviewing your Product Catalogue before 1 November 2026 to ensure your product information is complete and ready for the new customs requirements.