What is this?

As part of the EU customs reform that came into force on 1 July 2026, every item in a low-value parcel sent into the EU from outside the EU must carry product identifiers (PIDs): codes that identify the product, such as a SKU or a manufacturer reference. PIDs become mandatory on 1 November 2026.

In short:

What: each line item in the customs declaration needs its product identifiers, in addition to the usual customs data.
Who: merchants shipping from a non-EU country to consumers (B2C) in the EU, where the shipment value is €150 or less.
When: mandatory from 1 November 2026.
Why it matters: shipments without PIDs can be stopped at EU customs.
What to do: send the PIDs for each item in the customs declaration of your Ingrid booking request (see What to send below).

Ingrid provides one common set of fields for all carriers.

What are PIDs?

A product identifier (PID) identifies the product on each line item of the customs declaration. Three types apply:

Type	Identifier	Requirement
`M-PID`	Merchant product identifier, for example a SKU, listing ID or catalog number	Mandatory
`NS-PID`	Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier: the manufacturer's internal reference	Mandatory
`S-PID`	Standardized manufacturer product identifier, for example an EAN, GTIN, ISBN or UPC	Mandatory only if one exists

These requirements come from the EU regulation, so they are the same for every carrier that ships from outside the EU into the EU.

Who this affects

Affected: outbound (export) B2C shipments from a non-EU country to consumers in the EU, with a declared value of €150 or less.
Not affected: B2B shipments, and shipments that stay within the EU.
Returns: a B2C shipment that was first sent from the EU to a non-EU country and is returned to the EU (normally within 3 months) is not subject to the reform. So EU-based merchants with normal B2C return flows are not expected to be affected.

What to send

Send the PIDs for each item in the customs declaration of your Ingrid booking request, using the references field on each item:

"customs_declaration": {
  "general_customs_declaration": {
    "items": [
      {
        "references": [
          { "type": "M-PID", "code": "some value 1" },
          { "type": "NS-PID", "code": "some value 2" },
          { "type": "S-PID", "code": "some value 3" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Field reference in the Ingrid API documentation:

Sending the merchant product identifier (M-PID)

You can send the M-PID in references:

"items": [
  {
    "references": [
      { "type": "M-PID", "code": "some value 1" }
    ]
  }
]

Or as the item's sku:

"items": [
  {
    "sku": "some value 1"
  }
]

If you send both, the value in references takes precedence. In this example, "some value y" is used:

"items": [
  {
    "sku": "some value x",
    "references": [
      { "type": "M-PID", "code": "some value y" }
    ]
  }
]

Frequently asked questions

When do PIDs become mandatory?
On 1 November 2026, for every line item on non-EU to EU B2C shipments with a value of €150 or less.

What happens if a shipment has no PIDs?
It can be stopped at EU customs.

Do different carriers need different identifiers?
No. The three PID types come from the EU regulation and apply to every carrier that ships from outside the EU into the EU.

Do I need PIDs for B2B shipments?
No. B2B shipments are not affected.

Do returns into the EU need PIDs?
Normally not. A B2C shipment first sent from the EU to a non-EU country and returned to the EU (normally within 3 months) is not subject to the reform.

Can I use my SKU as the merchant product identifier?
Yes. Send it as the item's sku, or as an M-PID in references. If you send both, references wins.

EU customs reform: product identifiers (PIDs) for non-EU to EU shipments