EU Customs Reform
How customs data can make a difference for your business
The customs changes coming to the EU are confirmed. Getting ready now can help you cut costs, make better decisions, and create value.
19.06.2026
What changes now - and down the line
The changes to EU customs are putting more pressure on businesses to know their products at the item level and to make that information available across the supply chain. Starting November 1, 2026, customs must be able to connect the declaration line to a specific product reference through the introduction of Product Identifiers (PIDs), and a €2 Union Handling Fee (UHF) will apply to each item type in a parcel for distance sales consignments, irrespective of value.
But these are not the last changes businesses will need to prepare for. Additional customs data requirements will come with Digital Product Passports (DPPs) starting in 2027 and the EU Customs Data Hub coming in 2028. For many companies, the challenge isn't collecting more data, it's making sure the data they already have is accurate, consistent, and connected across systems.
The good news is that much of the work needed to prepare for future customs requirements will deliver value today. Clean and complete product master data supports customs declarations, product compliance, logistics, pricing, inventory, sourcing, and other business decisions.
Are you ready for Product Identifiers?
Come November 1, 2026, customs must be able to connect the declaration line to a specific product reference through the introduction of Product Identifiers (PIDs).
- Businesses preparing for the November 2026 Product Identifier requirements should ask:
- Does every SKU have a stable product identifier?
- Can we associate the seller SKU with the manufacturer's part number?
- Do we capture GTIN, EAN, UPC, or ISBN where applicable?
- Can our APIs and sender portals transmit these fields?
- Can our product master data automatically populate customs declarations?
- Can we validate that the data being transmitted actually belongs to the product being shipped?
If the answer to any of these product data questions is no, November 2026 is a pressing date that will require immediate action to prepare.
What does the November 2026 Union Handling Fee mean for businesses?
Starting November 1, 2026, a €2 Union Handling Fee will apply to each item type in a parcel for distance sales consignments. The fee will apply not only to low-value consignments, but to B2C consignments of any value.
Calculation of the Union Handling Fee will be driven by the requirement to quote Document Code Y126 on all applicable items. The returned Tax Type for the Union Handling Fee for those declaration items will be F00.
For businesses, this adds another reason to have accurate, item-level product data connected to customs declaration processes. Product and customs data needs to support the identification of applicable items and the accurate transmission of the information required for customs processing.
How can better customs data create commercial value?
Focusing on product and customs data isn’t just a compliance exercise for the looming EU Customs Data Hub. It will create commercial value today. Clean and complete master data can help identify:
Sourcing opportunities. Comparing classification, origin, and duty exposure across suppliers can reveal where changing the source could reduce landed cost.
Portfolio refinement. Better data can highlight products that are similar but carry different duty or compliance costs, helping companies make smarter decisions about which products to sell.
Inventory decisions. Better visibility into demand, origin, product attributes, and destination markets can help determine which products should be held in EU inventory rather than shipped individually across borders.
Compliance risk. Linking products to regulatory requirements makes it easier to identify SKUs that lack the documentation, certifications, or attributes needed for EU sale.
Logistics optimization. Understanding products at the item level allows businesses to model the cost impact of parcel consolidation, fulfillment location, and shipping method.
Pricing. More accurate landed-cost calculations allow businesses to understand margin by SKU and destination rather than relying on guesses and assumptions.
How can you prepare your product data for EU customs reform?
You can start with this product and customs data readiness checklist:
Assign ownership for every critical product and customs data field.
Define validation rules to ensure data is complete, accurate, and consistent.
Clean up duplicate product records and establish a single source of truth for product data.
Standardize product identifiers across systems.
Map commercial SKUs to manufacturer part numbers, model numbers, and standard product codes.
Update sender portals and APIs to capture SKU, manufacturer part/model number, and applicable standard product codes ahead of November 1, 2026.
Create a controlled mapping between product master data and the fields required for customs declarations.
Establish data lineage for critical fields: where did the data come from, who owns it, when was it last updated, and which downstream processes use it?
Build a process for ongoing data maintenance so product and customs data stay accurate as products, suppliers, and regulations change.
Why does product data matter beyond customs compliance?
Businesses that make improving product data a strategic initiative will not only be prepared for the November 2026 EU customs changes, they'll be getting a jump on the additional requirements coming with the EU Customs Data Hub in 2028. More importantly, better product data can be used beyond customs to improve sourcing, inventory, logistics, compliance, and pricing, and to inform other commercial decisions.
Getting your product data right won’t just ensure you’re ready for the next customs requirement. It will give you the data foundation you need to adapt as EU customs requirements evolve, make better decisions across your business, and start reaping the rewards today.
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