EU Product Identifier Rules Could Complicate eBay Sales Of Used, Vintage Goods
eBay sellers shipping to European Union buyers will face new customs data requirements starting November 1, including product identifiers that may be difficult or impossible to provide for some used, vintage and one-of-a-kind goods.
eBay announced the upcoming change in September, telling sellers that Product Identifier information will be required for items shipped from outside the EU to buyers in the bloc regardless of item value.
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The new customs data includes a Merchant Product Identifier assigned by the seller or marketplace, which eBay says it will satisfy using the eBay listing ID, along with manufacturer-level identifiers that sellers may need to provide.
Where a standardized code such as a GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN exists, that information can be used. The EU requirements also call for a Non-Standardized Manufacturer Product Identifier, or NS-PID, assigned by the manufacturer, producer or supplier.
A new retail product may have a UPC, manufacturer part number or other readily identifiable code, but much of eBay's inventory does not fit that model. Older clothing, vintage collectibles, replacement parts, handmade goods and other secondhand items may have no obvious manufacturer identifier at all.
eBay recommends sellers search online for the NS-PID if they don't know it, while acknowledging that some product categories may not have a separate NS-PID at all. The company says additional guidance will be provided, but does not explain what sellers should enter when no manufacturer-level identifier exists.
Under EU rules, a standardized manufacturer identifier is required only when one exists, while the merchant and non-standardized manufacturer identifiers are required data elements for covered distance sales of imported goods. The new fields have been added to multiple customs declaration datasets, including H1, H6 and H7, meaning the requirement is not limited to packages worth €150 or less.
The EU also changed how low-value imports are treated beginning July 1, eliminating the previous customs duty exemption for consignments valued at €150 or less and introducing a temporary €3 duty per item that will remain in place until July 1, 2028. Product Identifier data could be supplied voluntarily beginning July 1, but becomes mandatory November 1.
Liz Morton
The changes are part of the EU's broader customs reform as low-value ecommerce imports continue to surge and authorities raise concerns about unsafe or non-compliant products. Almost 5.9 billion low-value ecommerce items entered the EU in 2025, while targeted inspections found more than 60% of checked products in categories including cosmetics, toys and electronics failed EU standards.
eBay sellers are already asking what they are supposed to enter for older products that may never have had these identifiers, or when the original manufacturer is unknown. Questions have also come up about whether GPSR exclusions and exemptions for antiques or older products have any bearing on the new customs requirements.
But GPSR and the new Product Identifier requirements are separate rules. An item that falls outside certain GPSR requirements is not necessarily exempt from the new customs data requirements.
Sellers using eBay International Shipping are being told to keep manufacturer or standardized Product IDs updated in their listings so inventory remains visible to EU buyers. Sellers shipping directly or using SpeedPAK will need to provide the required information to the carrier.
eBay warns missing Product Identifier data could result in delayed customs clearance, delivery disruptions or other problems beginning November 1, but has not yet explained what sellers should provide when a manufacturer-level identifier simply doesn't exist.
