European Union Customs Requirements: Everything You Need to Know About Product Identifiers (PIDs)

As part of the European Union (EU) customs reform, new import rules are in place to strengthen product safety and streamline border clearance. To comply with these EU customs requirements, product identifiers (PIDs) are now a mandatory regulatory requirement for all companies shipping goods from a business to a consumer (B2C) into Europe with an intrinsic value of €150 or less.

Who is impacted by the PID requirement?

These requirements apply to all shipments that meet all of the following criteria:

• Destination: A member state of the European Union
• Nature of the shipment: Goods (documents-only shipments are excluded)
• Type of transaction: B2C (online sales, e-commerce, marketplaces)
• Value: €150 or less for the total shipment value

Note: Business-to-business (B2B) shipments destined for businesses registered for VAT in the EU are not subject to the PID requirement.

Understanding the three types of PIDs required

For each item in your shipment, European customs authorities require up to three distinct alphanumeric codes:

Identifier Type	Description	Examples	Status
M-PID (Merchant PID)	Internal reference or SKU assigned by the seller to track the product in their system.	SKU-4853, TOTE-WHITE-01	Mandatory
NS-PID (Non-Standardized Manufacturer PID)	Model or part number assigned by the manufacturer or supplier	MX2000, FKS453-BLK	Mandatory
S-PID (Standardized Manufacturer PID)	Globally recognized standard code (e.g., barcode).	UPC, EAN, GTIN (5012345678900), ISBN	Mandatory if it exists (indicate “NONE” otherwise)

Checklist: data entry best practices

Do:

• Provide the M-PID and NS-PID for every item without exception.
• Include the S-PID whenever the product has an international barcode.
• Enter each identifier into its appropriate electronic field (do not mix them up).
• Ensure codes match your product catalogue precisely (including size or color variants).

Don’t:

• Leave PID fields blank when preparing an order.
• Group multiple identifiers into a single text field.
• Reverse the order of codes or use incorrect headers.

Warning: Transmitting incomplete customs data prevents brokers and customs authorities from clearing your packages. This can lead to significant delays upon arrival in Europe, additional administrative or storage fees, or even an automatic Return to Origin (RTO) at the shipper’s expense.

How to ship easily with Globex?

To make this regulatory transition friction-free, our client portal features an intelligent system designed to automate and simplify product identifier management:

1) Automatic Detection & First Alert: As soon as you enter your order, the portal instantly identifies if your shipment targets the European Union under a B2C sale with an eligible value. A clear informational banner appears directly on screen to remind you of current obligations.

2) Dedicated Fields per Item: When adding your items, the system provides specific, structured fields so you can easily enter your codes (M-PID, NS-PID, and S-PID).

3) Enhanced Security (Double Alert): If no identifiers were provided during the initial step, an intelligent pop-up alert triggers at the time of service selection to warn you and prevent any clearance-blocking omissions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) What happens if my B2C shipment contains multiple items of varying values whose total exceeds €150?
The Product Identifier (PID) requirement applies when the total intrinsic value of the shipment does not exceed €150. If your overall shipment exceeds this threshold, standard customs clearance rules apply and PIDs are not mandatory at the line-item level for that specific shipment.

2) Do I need to provide PIDs if my goods transit through the EU for delivery to a third-party country?
No. The requirement to transmit PIDs applies exclusively to goods whose final import destination is within an EU member state as part of a sale to a consumer.

3) How can I obtain or generate an S-PID if my product does not have an official barcode?
If your item does not possess any internationally recognized standard code (such as a UPC, EAN, GTIN, or ISBN), you do not need to invent one. Simply enter “NONE” in the dedicated S-PID field, as outlined in customs guidelines.

4) Do online marketplaces automatically transmit PIDs on my behalf?
Not necessarily. Even if you sell through an external platform, the responsibility of determining and providing accurate PID codes during shipping rests with the shipper. It is your responsibility to synchronize your catalogues so these data points are integrated into your Globex order flows.