Overview

This article explains the new European Union (EU) product identification requirements that take effect November 1, 2026, and shows you how to add the required data to your items, so your applicable EU direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipments stay compliant.

Background

Starting November 1, 2026, applicable DTC shipments shipped to the EU will require additional product identification data, including:

• Merchant Product ID (SKU)
• A standardized product ID, such as a UPC, GTIN, EAN, or ISBN
• The type of standardized product ID used
• A non-standard manufacturer product ID, when one applies
• Harmonized Tariff Code
• Confirmation that the order is DTC

Extensiv already provides SKU, Harmonized Tariff Code, and Order Type as available fields. This update adds two new fields so you can identify the type of standardized product ID you're using and, when applicable, provide a non-standard manufacturer product ID.

What's New

• Standardized Product ID Type (set per unit of measure): identifies the type of value stored in the existing UPC field. There is now a dropdown allowing you to select the following options: Unspecified (default), UPC, GTIN, EAN, and ISBN.                                                                 

  

• Non-Standard Manufacturer Product ID (set per item): a single value that applies across all units of measure for that item. 

  

Before You Begin

If you don't already have standardized identifiers (UPC, GTIN, EAN, or ISBN) for the products you ship, start by finding out which of your customers ship products DTC into the EU, and request the missing identifiers from them now. Collecting this information could take several weeks, which is typically the longest step in preparing for the required changes on November 1, 2026.

You don't need to wait until every partner responds before entering data in Extensiv. Import what you have as it becomes available — steady progress across your catalog is more effective than a single update at the end of October.

Prerequisite

• Your item already has a SKU and Harmonized Tariff Code entered

Setting the Standardized Product ID Type

1. Open the item in Manage Items.
2. Locate the unit of measure that has a standardized identifier entered in the UPC field.
3. (Optional) If the standardized identifier is NOT a UPC, set Standardized Product ID Type to the value that matches what's already in the UPC field: UPC, GTIN, EAN, or ISBN.

   

4. Save your changes.

Adding a Non-Standard Manufacturer Product ID

1. Open the item in Manage Item.
2. Enter the manufacturer's product ID in the Non-Standard Manufacturer Product ID field. This value applies to all units of measure on the item.

   

3. Save your changes.

Options for Updating Your Items

• Manage Item: update one item at a time. This works well for a handful of items or spot corrections, but may not be practical for a full catalog.
• Item import and batch update (recommended for most catalogs): This allows you to update or export multiple items at a time. To do so, 
  1. Export your current items.
  2. Fill in the two new columns: Standardized Product ID Type (per unit of measure) and Non-Standard Manufacturer Product ID (per item).
  3. Import the file back into Extensiv.
  4. Verify a sample of the updated records in Manage Item.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to do anything if I don't ship DTC orders to the EU?  

No. These fields are only required for applicable EU DTC shipments.

What is changing on September 24th  

1. The Primary UPC, Packaging UPC, and Secondary UPC fields at the item setup screen will be renamed to Standardized Product ID, Packaging Standardized Product ID, and Secondary Product ID. 
2. A new dropdown will be added for each field to designate whether the value in each field is a UPC, GTIN, EAN, or ISBN number. 
3. By default, the dropdown will be set to UPC. This field will not be sent as part of a label printing request until Tuesday, October 20th. You will not need to take any action until that date. 

What do I need to do in advance of September 24th? 

1. No action is needed on your part. The values in Primary, Packaging, and Secondary UPC fields will remain after the update to support EU Trade regulation is completed on September 24th.  
2. Prior to October 20th if any of these values are not UPC numbers, you will need to select either GTIN, EAN, ISBN, or unspecified for each identifying number. Please see our documentation for a walkthrough on how to do so.

Can I update my items in bulk? 

Yes, you will be able to both designate the required fields via item import template and update existing items in bulk using the item update template