This change has practical implications for shippers and receivers:

• Pricing strategies may need to be reviewed to account for customs duty
• Unexpected duties can lead to delivery delays or a poor experience for your customers
• Communicating landed costs clearly to your customers becomes more important than ever

To avoid delays and ensure your shipments clear customs smoothly:

• Ensure all shipments include accurate HS codes, goods values, detailed product descriptions and country of origin
• Factor in customs duty alongside VAT, handling fees and transport costs to understand your true delivery cost
• If you use the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme, the IOSS holder becomes the legal customs declarant and DHL Express clears shipments on your behalf, rather than the consumer. Ensure your IOSS registration details are provided to DHL and that DHL Express holds a valid Power of Attorney (POA). Without a valid POA, shipments may be delayed or unable to clear customs
• If you have a European Union establishment or a European Union representative, provide DHL Express with a valid POA to allow us to act on your behalf or the full details of your European Union Representative for customs clearance. Although not legally required, a European Union establishment will help your shipments clear smoothly and without disruption

Product identifier requirement

Effective November 1, 2026:

Product identifiers is a mandatory line-item field required to complete customs clearance. This is a unique code that identifies a specific product throughout the supply chain.

There are three types:

• Standardized manufacturer product identifier: based on internationally recognized standards such as Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) or European Article Number (EAN). Optional to provide
• Non-standardized manufacturer product identifier: used when no standardized identifier is available. Sellers may use their own identifier, such as an internal Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). Mandatory to provide
• Merchant identifier: a unique code that identifies the seller behind each online order. Mandatory to provide

What DHL Express is doing to help

DHL Express services to and within the European Union remain fully operational. Our customs and regulatory teams are actively preparing for the European Union Customs Reform.

We support you with:

• Customs expertise and regulatory guidance
• Tools to submit accurate shipment data
• Ongoing updates as European Union legislation is finalized
• Contact with specialized professionals to set up a European Union establishment

This is a mandatory regulatory change introduced by the European Union. It is not a DHL Express fee or policy.

European Union countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

European Commission: European Union Customs Reform  
European Union targets low-value imports via e-commerce platforms: European Parliament