From 1 November

E-commerce: stricter customs checks with PIDs

From 1 November, the alphanumeric codes that make up the product identifiers must be provided to Customs for compliance and safety checks

by Alessandro Mastromatteo, Gaetana Rota and Benedetto Santacroce

14 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Product identifiers: the new frontier for EU customs controls. From 1 November 2026, businesses engaged in the distance selling of goods imported into the European Union will have to incorporate a fundamental change into their procedures: pursuant to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2026/382, it will in fact be mandatory to provide the customs authorities with so-called product identifiers (PID – Product identifiers). From 1 July, compliance is already possible on a voluntary basis for those companies wishing to get a head start.

The communication in question stems from the same legislation that has already brought about a radical transformation in cross-border trade, by abolishing the customs exemption for consignments up to 150 euros and replacing it with with flat-rate tariffs of 3 euros per item.

What’s changing

PIDs are not entirely new from a technical point of view, as they are alphanumeric codes already used by operators for monitoring of warehouses and logistics management. However, the real revolution lies in their systematic transmission to customs authorities during importation.

This is exactly what has been happening in the US since 8 July in relation to a list of around 600 products which (among others) Italian exporters must now declare in advance to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in advance, regarding the content of the certificates of conformity (including, in particular, the PID) required by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The purpose of these ‘new’ procedures is clearly linked to safety of products crossing borders.

As clarified in the EU Guidance of 2 June 2026, the aim for EU compliance is also to provide the authorities with tools for granular traceability throughout the entire supply chain. Thanks to PIDs, customs authorities will be able to identify non-compliant products and extend the outcome of a single inspection to all items presenting a similar risk, transforming these codes into a cross-cutting analytical tool that multiplies the effectiveness of checks without placing an additional burden on human resources.

Three categories

The system is organised into three categories of identifiers: the first, M-Pid (Merchant Product Identifier), is assigned by the seller, marketplace or platform. This code uniquely identifies the item within the context of the sales website, and is mandatory in all circumstances. A second type, Ns-Pid (Non-standardised manufacturer product identifier), is assigned by the manufacturer according to internal criteria for supply chain traceability. This code is also always mandatory. Finally, a third type, S-PID (Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier), based on recognised international standards (such as EAN or ISBN), must be provided only if it already exists; otherwise, an ‘exception’ code must be used.

Distributed responsibility

Compliance with the new provisions concerns not only the presence of the code, but also its relevance: it is mandatory to prioritise the identifier that maximises the effectiveness of the control. Responsibility from an operational perspective is therefore shared: the platforms manage the M-Pid, manufacturers guarantee the Ns-Pid and S-Pid, whilst customs declarants (IOSS holders or indirect representatives) carry out the formal declaration using the new TARIC document codes (C127, C128, C129 and Y081 in the event of an exception).

The complete strategy

This further step in the reform process, which is closely linked to product traceability, forms part of a long-term vision that will culminate in July 2028 with the full implementation of the new Union Customs Code and the EU Customs Data Hub. In this context, PIDs will pave the way for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) provided for in Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on ecodesign, making transparency of information a structural pillar of the movement of goods within the single market.