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 help support these requirements, DHL Express Commerce now includes the following fields within shipment line item data, as well as the Product Catalogue:
- Merchant Product ID
- Manufacturer Product ID
- Standardised Product ID
Where can I find the fields?
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
Available in the Product Catalogue
The new Product ID fields are also available within your Product Catalogue.
This allows you to maintain the information at product level and automatically apply it to future shipments that use the same product.
We recommend maintaining these values within your Product Catalogue wherever possible, as this helps ensure product information remains accurate and consistent across all shipments.
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.
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 the product by the manufacturer.
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, such as a barcode or other industry-standard identifier.
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
Important: These fields are separate customs data elements and are not automatically populated from existing fields such as MID, Brand, Model, or Usage.
Quick reference
| 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) |
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
I import orders via CSV files. Can the new fields be provided in the import file?
Yes. The new Product ID fields are available in the latest preformatted CSV specification and can also be mapped when using your own custom CSV format.
To download the latest preformatted CSV template, navigate to Settings > CSV File. If you use your own CSV format, you can add the new fields using the mapping tool and map them to the appropriate columns in your import file.
This allows Merchant Product ID, Manufacturer Product ID, and Standardised Product ID values to be imported automatically as part of your order data.
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 do not enter a Merchant Product ID?
What happens if I don't enter a Manufacturer Product ID?
What happens if I don't enter a Standardised 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.