The EU, Norway, and Switzerland require a Harmonized System (HS) tariff code and a specific item description on customs forms for every parcel you send them. Parcels without both are held, returned, or fined, so your product data needs to be complete before you ship internationally.
Important
LVK cannot provide legal advice or assign product descriptions and HS tariff codes for you. Work with your vendor or a customs broker to classify your products.
Table of Contents
- EU, Norway, and Switzerland Shipping Regulations
- What the ICS2 Regulations Require
- Additional Information on EU Shipping Regulations
EU, Norway, and Switzerland Shipping Regulations
Parcels going to any EU country, Norway, or Switzerland must include an HS tariff code, the international numeric code that identifies what a product is for customs. The code goes on the customs form and in the shipping data file that travels with the parcel.
The rule exists to increase accountability and efficiency at customs and to reduce fraud and security risk.
Countries Covered by the EU Shipping Regulations
The requirement applies to Norway, Switzerland, and all 27 EU member countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
What the ICS2 Regulations Require
These rules come from the EU's Import Control System 2 (ICS2), the customs data program the EU uses to screen inbound parcels. The phase covering postal and express shipments took effect on July 1, 2023 and applies to every parcel shipped since that date.
Every shipper must provide two things for each item in a shipment:
- A specific, accurate item description.
- The correct HS tariff code.
Meeting both requirements helps you:
- Avoid fines and penalties for noncompliance.
- Reduce safety and security risk.
- Keep deliveries to the EU on schedule.
- Prevent customs delays and returned parcels.
Writing Detailed Commodity Descriptions for EU Customs
Customs no longer accepts vague descriptions such as "samples", "clothes", or "parts". A compliant description names the item first, then adds the details that identify it: what it's made of, what it's used for, and who uses it. Avoid any wording that could describe more than one type of product.
| Not accepted | Accepted |
|---|---|
| Clothes | Women's 100% cotton knit t-shirts |
| Parts | Steel brake pads for passenger vehicles |
| Samples | Ceramic floor tile samples, 4 in. squares |
| Electronics | Lithium-ion power bank for mobile phones, 10,000 mAh |
| Gift | Scented soy candle in glass jar |
Additional Information on EU Shipping Regulations
For the full list of acceptable and unacceptable wording, read the European Commission's Guidance on Acceptable and Unacceptable Terms for the Description of Goods (Source: European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union).
EU Shipping Regulations: Frequently Asked Questions
Does this affect me?
If you ship goods to the EU, Norway, or Switzerland, this applies to you on all international services.
What do I need to do?
- Review your product descriptions and make each one specific enough to identify the item (see the examples above).
- Add the correct HS tariff code to every product you ship to these countries.
What happens if a product is missing an HS tariff code?
The parcel cannot ship to the EU, Norway, or Switzerland. Add the code to the product before creating the order.