How Product Codes Work for EU Shipments

What's Changing?

The EU now asks for up to three product codes for each item on the customs declaration. This is on top of the HS code you already give us. It's an EU rule that applies to every carrier and to parcels of any value.

When you ship to the EU, TUNL asks you for product codes at booking and includes them on the customs declaration. Shipments to the UK, Switzerland and the rest of the world don't change.

The Three Product Codes

Which Codes Do I Need?

• You make your own products: just your product code. You're the manufacturer, so we use the same code for both.
• You resell products from a supplier: your product code and the manufacturer's code from your supplier.
• Your product has a barcode on the packaging: add the barcode number too.

Each size or colour is its own product, so it needs its own code. A navy t-shirt in size M and the same t-shirt in size L have different product codes.

How to Add Product Codes When You Book 📝

When you're shipping to the EU, you'll see this note above your customs items:

1. Book a shipment as usual and choose a destination in the EU.
2. In the Customs step, each item now has a Product codes section.
3. Enter Your product code. Add the manufacturer's code and barcode if you have them.
4. Book your shipment.

You can't book a shipment to the EU until every item has a product code. If one is missing, so you can find it.

A barcode has 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits. If yours isn't accepted, check the number against the eld empty if the product doesn't have one.

Each Product Gets Its Own Line

For EU shipments, every product code is a separate line on your customs declaration. Products that share an HS code are no longer grouped together.

For example, this shipment has four lines:

Select See example in the Customs step to see this while you book.

The €2 EU Handling Fee 💶

From 1 November 2026, the EU also charges a handling fee of €2 per customs item on parcels sent to consumers. It's on top of any duties and VAT, and applies whatever the parcel's value.
A customs item is a group of products with the same HS code and country of origin. It isn't each physical unit or each product code. Three identical t-shirts count as one customs item, and so do a navy and a white t-shirt made in the same country.

If everything in the example above is made in the same country, that shipment has two customs items: the t-shirts and the belt. The fee is €4.
The fee is included in the duties and taxes we calculate for your shipment, so you don't need to do anything:

• DDP: you pay it, along with duties and VAT.
• DAP: your customer pays it on delivery, along with duties and VAT.

Business shipments with an EU VAT number don't pay the fee.

Orders from Shopify or WooCommerce 🛍️

When you book an order from your connected store, we fill in the product codes from your store's product details:

WooCommerce doesn't have a field for the manufacturer's code. If it's different from your SKU, add it in the booking.

Items from your store are tagged with the order they came from. If a product in your store hrning on that item. Add the code in the booking and it's used for that shipment only.

To fill it in automatically next time, add SKUs to your products in your store:

• How to add SKUs in Shopify
• How to add SKUs in WooCommerce

Shipping to a Business

Product codes are only needed when you sell to consumers. If your customer is a business with an EU VAT number:

1. In the destination step, tick Shipping to a business.
2. Add the company name and their VAT number in Tax ID of recipient. Both are required.

Business shipments don't need product codes, and items with the same HS code are grouped int

What You'll See on Your Commercial Invoice 🧾

We add the codes to the description of each item on the commercial invoice, using the labels EU customs expects:

• M-PID is your product code
• NS-PID is the manufacturer's code
• S-PID is the barcode. If there isn't one, it shows NO

For example: Cotton t-shirt, navy, M M-PID VS-TEE-NVY-M NS-PID VS-TEE-NVY-M S-PID NO

Here's how the four products from the example above appear. The codes are highlighted in blue they're plain text.

You'll only see these labels on your documents. In TUNL, the fields use plain names.

What If a Code Is Missing or Wrong?

Customs may hold your shipment or send it back if the codes don't match the products inside. The carrier may also contact you to check them. Check your codes before you book.

If you spot a mistake after booking, contact us straight away and we'll help you sort it out.

Can I Save Product Codes to My Product Library?

Not yet. We're adding product codes to the Product Library next, so you'll only need to enter themonce. Until then, add them in the Customs step each time you book a shipment to the EU.

Quick Recap ✅

• From 1 November 2026, every item you ship to the EU needs a product code.
• Only your product code is required. Add the manufacturer's code and barcode if you have them.
• You don't need to register codes anywhere. Use the same code for the same product every time.
• Each size or colour is its own product, with its own code and its own customs line.
• Store orders use your SKUs and barcodes. Add SKUs in your store to save time.
• Business shipments with a VAT number don't need product codes.

🦸‍♀️ Have more questions? We're here to help!

If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to our support team via Whatsapp here or on email here.

Keywords: EU product codes, EU product identifiers, PID, M-PID, NS-PID, S-PID, SKU, GTIN, EAN, UPC, ISBN, barcode, EU customs 2026, 1 November 2026, commercial invoice, Shopify SKU, WooCommerce SKU, shipping to Europe, TUNL shipping.

Updated on: 26/10/2026