Customs & Product Identification
Use this guide when you are completing Item product data for customs declarations, international shipping, or EU Product Identifier checks.
ParcelPilot's current EU PID warnings are advisory. They help you spot missing product data based on the information currently available. A Ready status means ParcelPilot has the data it currently expects for that readiness check; it is not a legal or compliance certification.
Why ParcelPilot stores this information
ParcelPilot stores customs and product identification data so shipments and documents can use clear product facts when goods move internationally.
This information may support:
- customs declarations and commercial invoice data
- international carrier commodity information
- EU Product Identifier readiness checks for affected EU B2C imports
- internal product data quality and bulk maintenance
EU PID is only one part of product data. A product can be EU PID Ready while still missing other useful customs data, such as HS code or country of manufacture.
For TransGlobal Express shipments from GB mainland to Northern Ireland, ParcelPilot checks commodity information separately from EU PID. Before requesting a TransGlobal Express quote or creating the shipment, each shipped item line must have the commodity information ParcelPilot uses for the carrier request, including HS code, customs description, country of origin, shipped units, declared unit value, and item weight. EU PID may still show an advisory review state; that advisory state does not currently prevent shipment by itself.
Item fields
Merchant Product ID / SKU
ParcelPilot currently uses the Item SKU as the Merchant Product ID.
This is normally your own unique product reference for the item, such as TSHIRT-BLK-M or ABC-123. Keep it stable, because orders, inventory, ecommerce sync, and warehouse workflows often depend on it.
Manufacturer Product ID
The Manufacturer Product ID is the manufacturer's or supplier's own reference for the product.
It may be called:
- MPN
- manufacturer SKU
- model number
- style number
- part number
- supplier product reference
It is not the manufacturer name.
Examples:
- Manufacturer:
Acme Tools - Manufacturer Product ID:
AT-4500-BLK - Manufacturer:
Northshore Apparel - Manufacturer Product ID:
NS-JKT-2026-NAVY
You may find it on supplier catalogues, product specification sheets, packaging, invoices, or manufacturer product documentation.
Standard Product ID
The Standard Product ID is a globally standardised product identifier, such as a GTIN, EAN, UPC, or ISBN.
This is not simply another internal SKU. It should be the identifier assigned through a recognised product-numbering scheme where the product has one.
Standard Product ID Type
The Standard Product ID Type records what kind of standard identifier has been supplied, such as GTIN-13 or ISBN.
ParcelPilot can infer recognised GTIN types when a supplied value passes its deterministic checks. If ParcelPilot cannot identify the type safely, choose the correct type manually only when you know it.
No standard product identifier exists
Select No standard product identifier exists only when the product has been reviewed and genuinely has no GTIN, EAN, UPC, ISBN, or similar standard identifier.
Do not select it just because you do not know the identifier yet. Do not enter fake values such as NA, N/A, none, or unknown.
If you are unsure, leave the standard identifier fields blank until you can confirm the right data.
Manufacturer
Manufacturer is the manufacturer or brand-maker name where you know it.
This is different from Manufacturer Product ID. The manufacturer name identifies the party or brand; the manufacturer product ID identifies the product reference.
Customs Description
The Customs Description should clearly describe what the physical goods are.
Good examples:
Cotton crew neck T-shirtStainless steel water bottlePlastic phone caseChildren's paperback book
Poor examples:
GoodsPartsSampleMerchandiseProduct
Use a meaningful description whenever one can be supplied.
HS Code
The HS Code is the commodity classification code for the goods.
ParcelPilot stores the code you provide. You are responsible for using the appropriate classification for your goods. ParcelPilot does not legally determine the correct HS code for you.
Country of Manufacture / Origin
Country of Manufacture or Origin means where the goods were manufactured or produced. It is not necessarily the country the goods are being shipped from.
Use the two-letter country code, such as GB, CN, DE, or US.
EU B2C PID status
The EU B2C PID status answers a narrow question: does the Item have the product identifiers ParcelPilot currently expects if EU B2C PID rules apply to a shipment containing this item?
Ready
Ready means the Item has:
- SKU / Merchant Product ID
- Manufacturer Product ID
- Standard Product ID and Standard Product ID Type, or explicit confirmation that no standard product identifier exists
Needs Data
Needs Data means one or more of those PID readiness fields is missing. ParcelPilot should show the specific missing reason, such as missing Manufacturer Product ID or unresolved Standard Product ID state.
These fields do not independently make EU B2C PID readiness fail:
- Manufacturer name
- Customs Description
- HS Code
- Country of Manufacture / Origin
They remain important customs and product data, but they are tracked separately from the EU B2C PID readiness check.
AI Help may show Update Product Details when missing SKU / Merchant Product ID or Manufacturer Product ID fields belong to one editable Item and you have permission to edit it. The advice identifies the missing fields; it does not supply their values. For an Order containing multiple Items needing data, AI Help does not choose one Item arbitrarily. An unresolved standard identifier still requires your confirmed information or a genuine absence decision; AI Help does not make that decision.
Updating these local fields allows ParcelPilot to reassess readiness. It does not verify the identifier, certify compliance, guarantee acceptance or synchronize it externally.
Product Data completeness
Product Data completeness is a broader product/customs quality indicator. It is separate from EU B2C PID readiness.
It can reflect general customs and operational product data such as HS code, origin, manufacturer, customs description, weight, dimensions, and other maintained item facts.
Do not treat Product Data completeness and EU B2C PID readiness as the same status. EU PID readiness focuses on product identifiers; general Product Data completeness covers a wider set of information.
Bulk maintenance with Item CSV
Use the Item CSV export/import workflow when many products need updates.
Typical workflow:
- Export current Items from ParcelPilot.
- Fill missing supported data in the CSV.
- Re-import the CSV.
- Review the import summary for updated, skipped, or failed rows.
The importer updates existing Items by SKU within the permitted tenant/client scope. It does not create missing Items from the Item master maintenance CSV.
Blank cells and absent columns preserve existing values for supported fields. This lets you fill only the data you want to maintain.
Relevant supported product/customs columns include:
SKUNameBarcodeManufacturerManufacturer Product IdentifierStandard Product IdentifierStandard Product Identifier TypeNo Standard Product Identifier ExistsHS CodeCountry Of ManufactureCustoms Description- weight, dimensions, case-pack, pricing/tax, planning, serial, measurement, activity, allocation, alias, and selected ecommerce identity columns that the export includes
The importer protects ownership and integration-controlled identity data. It does not treat arbitrary raw ecommerce metadata as customs/product identifiers.