EU Merchant and Manufacturer IDs

If you ship to consumers in the European Union from outside the EU, two changes affect you:

Since July 1, 2026: The EU duty exemption for low-value shipments (€150 or less) has ended. A flat €3 customs duty now applies to each line on the customs declaration.

Starting November 1, 2026: Every item on a consumer shipment into the EU must include Product Identifiers. Carriers will not clear shipments that are missing them.

How Arta supports this

You’ll see two new fields everywhere you enter customs details today: in the API when you create a quote request, on the quote request form, and on the Export Customs Documents form.

Merchant Product ID: Your own identifier for the item, such as a SKU, lot number or inventory number.
Manufacturer Product ID: The maker’s model or reference number. If the product has a barcode number (GTIN, EAN, ISBN), use that.

Both fields are required on the Export Customs Documents form for EU-bound shipments from outside the EU. If you include them in your quote request or API call you won’t need to enter them later.

Many of our clients already use the Object Internal Reference for unique product identifiers, so if you do we will populate the Merchant Product ID with this data on the ECD form.

Shipping art or antiques? You don’t need to do fill anything in for the Manufacturer Product ID. Paintings, drawings, original prints, sculpture, stamps, coins or antiques over 100 years old (HS codes 9701–9706). Arta will fill in the required values for these automatically, which you can override.

Trading cards, books, jewelry, watches and handbags still need both Product IDs.

API Requirements

If you choose to send this data via API there are four new optional fields on objects and object components when you Create a Request.

Suggested ID for common objects

Object type	HS code	Merchant Product ID	Manufacturer Product ID
Trading cards	HS 4911	Seller’s listing or inventory ID for the card	Set name plus card number, as printed by the publisher (e.g. 2023 Topps Chrome #150). Never the grading slab serial or certification number.
Original artwork	HS 9701 to 9706	Lot number, inventory number, or listing ID	Not required. Mark exempt. If the seller has an artist-assigned catalogue or inventory number, they may provide it.
Photographs	HS 4911	Lot or inventory number	Edition reference as issued by the photographer or studio (edition number and size, or the studio’s catalogue number). For a unique print, the photographer’s inventory reference.
Watches	HS 9101 and 9102	Seller’s stock or lot number	Manufacturer reference number (e.g. 116610LN). Not the case serial. Same for resale watches.
Jewelry	HS 7113	Lot or inventory number	Branded pieces: the maker’s model or style reference. Unbranded or one-of-a-kind: the lot or sale reference, which FedEx accepts. Antique jewelry under 9706 is exempt.
Books	HS 4901	Seller’s listing ID	ISBN. Mark it standardized so it also transmits as the standard code. Rare books without an ISBN: publisher, edition, and year as the supplier reference, or the lot number.
Fashion	HS 4202 or HS 9705	Lot or inventory number	Brand style or model code where the item has one. Collectors’ pieces under 9705 are exempt.
Ceramics and decorative arts	HS 6913 or HS 9703	Lot or inventory number	Maker’s pattern or model number if a manufactured piece. Studio pottery: the potter’s reference or the lot number.
Prints and editions	HS 4911	Lot or inventory number	Edition reference from the publisher or print studio: edition number and size, or the publisher’s catalogue number.
Coins	HS 9705	Mint or supplier identifier	Collector coins are exempt. Other coins need a manufacturer identifier assigned by the mint or supplier, not a grading certificate number.

How to read charges from Customs