EU product identifiers, HS codes and country of origin: getting Shopify products ready for EU customs

Two changes reached online sellers shipping into the EU this year, and they are often confused. The European Commission separates them like this:^[1]

• A temporary €3 customs duty, from 1 July 2026. It replaces the old duty exemption for consignments worth up to €150, is charged per item rather than per parcel, and applies until 1 July 2028.^[1] The item count follows tariff classification, so five identical T-shirts count as one item and a T-shirt plus a watch as two.^[1]
• Mandatory product identifiers, from 1 November 2026. They could be declared voluntarily from 1 July 2026, and become mandatory on 1 November to help customs find and block unsafe or non-compliant goods.^[1]

The legal detail sits in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1022 of 30 April 2026, which amends the customs code's data requirements for these distance sales.^[2][5] Dutch Customs explains that once a product identifier is declared, customs can more easily find and inspect other shipments carrying the same product if one is found not to comply.^[2]

1. 1

   Open the variant

   From your Shopify admin, go to Products and click the product. If it has variants, click the variant.^[3]

2. 2

   Add the standard barcode

   In the Barcodes section, add the GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN printed on the packaging and choose the matching barcode type. A barcode saved with the Custom type is also accepted if it is a valid 8, 12, 13 or 14-digit GTIN.^[3]

3. 3

   Add the manufacturer's code (optional)

   Add the model number, part number or style code as another barcode with the NS-PID type.^[3]

4. 4

   Or declare that there is no standard identifier

   For a product with no GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN, open Shipping > More details and turn on Has no standardized identifier under EU customs declaration. Only do this when it is true: with it on, no standard identifier is sent, even if one is saved.^[3]

5. 5

   Do it in bulk

   To update many products at once, use a CSV import or the bulk editor.^[3]

From 1 November 2026, if an item in an EU-bound parcel worth €150 or less has no standard identifier and no declaration, Shopify will not let you buy the label until it is fixed; you can add the missing identifiers from the label page, and they are saved back to the product.^[3] If you buy labels elsewhere, make sure the identifiers still reach your carrier.^[3]

Some goods are exempt, including unprocessed agricultural and perishable goods in HS chapters 01 to 15, certain handmade and artisanal goods, and antiques, collectibles, works of art, stamps and coins. Shopify applies the exemption from the variant's HS code, so you cannot mark a product exempt yourself, and an accurate HS code matters.^[3]

Shopify defines the country or region of origin as where a product is created or assembled into the form you sell it in. Its example is a table assembled in the United States from Canadian wood, Mexican glue and Chinese screws: the origin is the United States.^[4] You can set origin per product, in bulk or by CSV, and set a store default for products without one.^[4] A default is convenient, but check it is true for every product it covers.

Before you can buy a label for a shipment that needs a customs declaration, Shopify needs each item's HS code of at least six digits, country of origin, description, quantity, value and weight, plus product identifiers for EU parcels worth €150 or less.^[10]

Gatepass EU, a Shopify app from the same company as this site, scans every active product for missing EU safety, customs and claims data, including HS code, country of origin, SKU, model number and barcode, and assigns HS code and origin in bulk.^[11] It keeps a dated change log of every scan and fix and describes itself as a readiness tool, not legal advice.^[11]