# Advance electronic data for postal items

> The advance data postal items with goods need: UPU ITMATT rules, US STOP Act fields, EU ICS2 for posts, who sends it and what happens when it's missing.

Source: https://border.bot/docs/guides/postal/advance-data
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> Documentation index: https://border.bot/llms.txt. Every page is Markdown at its URL + `.md`.


A postal item containing goods must have its customs data sent electronically before it travels: under UPU rules the origin post sends an ITMATT message that copies the CN 22 or CN 23, the United States requires USPS to pass that data to CBP before the item is loaded for the US, and the EU requires entry summary data in ICS2 before arrival. The sender supplies the facts, the posts transmit them, and an item whose data is missing can be refused, held or not loaded at all.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

## What is advance electronic data for postal items?

Advance electronic data (EAD) for a postal item is the content of its CN 22 or CN 23 sent electronically ahead of the item, together with dispatch data that ties the item to its receptacle and flight. Senders are responsible for the information on the form, origin posts capture and send it, and destination posts pass it to their customs.

The UPU rules set the format. Each item with advance data carries a unique S10 barcode, the electronic data must replicate the paper form, and the origin post nests each item's barcode in the dispatch message for the receptacle it travels in. Letters, postcards, printed papers other than books, letter-post items containing only correspondence and items for the blind are exempt.

| Message | Sent by | Sent to | What it carries |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ITMATT | Origin post | Destination post | The customs declaration data for each item |
| PREDES | Origin post | Destination post | The dispatch: receptacles and the item barcodes inside them |
| CARDIT | Origin post | Airline | The consignment handed over, flagged where a destination requires advance data |
| CUSITM | Destination post | Destination customs | The item data in the joint WCO and UPU format |
| ITMREF | Destination post | Origin post | A customs referral: request for information, request for screening or do not load |
| REFRSP | Origin post | Destination post | The answer to a referral |

Since 1 January 2025 the origin post must make sure no "do not load" referral is open, and that requests for information or screening are answered, before it hands items to the airline. Senders of commercial items must also give a six-digit HS code per article wherever the destination asks for one, a rule the WCO and UPU guidelines date from 1 September 2025.

## What data does the US require for postal items?

The United States requires advance electronic data for every inbound mail item containing goods sent as EMS, parcel post or letter-class goods, under the STOP Act of 2018 and 19 CFR 145.74. CBP must receive it from USPS as soon as practicable and no later than before the item is loaded on the conveyance bound for the US.

USPS doesn't create this data: it receives it from the origin post as ITMATT and PREDES messages and passes it on. CBP marks each field as mandatory in all cases or as preferred:

| Field | Status |
| --- | --- |
| Sender's name | Mandatory |
| Sender's address | Mandatory |
| Recipient's name | Mandatory |
| Recipient's address | Mandatory |
| Detailed description of contents | Mandatory |
| Quantity | Mandatory |
| Weight | Mandatory |
| Item ID (the S10 barcode) | Mandatory |
| Declared value | Mandatory |
| Designated operator | Mandatory |
| 10-digit HS tariff number, for commercial items | Preferred |
| Country of origin, for commercial items | Preferred |

The dispatch data adds the posts, the flight, the scheduled arrival, the CBP mail facility and each receptacle with its items. CBP can exclude a country that lacks the capacity to send the data, is low risk and is low volume, and reviews those exclusions every year.

A preferred field isn't optional in practice. The postal informal entry needs each article's 10-digit HTS code and origin, so leaving them off the CN 23 only moves the problem to the filer. The [US postal parcels guide](https://border.bot/docs/guides/postal/united-states) covers the entry itself.

<details>
<summary>The other preferred fields and the exemptions</summary>

Preferred fields: the sender's and recipient's phone, fax or email; the category of item (gift, documents, sale of goods, commercial sample, merchandise, returned goods or other); the date of posting; postal charges and fees; the importer's reference, such as a tax or importer number, and contact details; license, certificate and invoice numbers; and details of any quarantine, sanitary, phytosanitary or other restriction.

No advance data is required for letter-class mail containing only documents, items for the blind up to 7 kg, EMS or parcel post items that contain no goods, returned US-origin items, items in closed transit through the US, and domestic mail, including mail to and from military post offices, US territories and the Freely Associated States.

</details>

## What happens when US advance data is missing?

When CBP hasn't received the required advance data for a mail item containing goods, USPS must refuse the shipment, unless CBP and USPS decide that remedial action is warranted instead. Remedial action includes destruction, seizure, controlled delivery or other law enforcement steps, or correcting the missing data, and USPS faces a $5,000 penalty per violation.

Either way, an item without data doesn't reach the buyer on time, if at all. CBP's October 2026 proposal on low-value shipments would also make carriers report each item's UPU S10 tracking number on their manifests, so CBP can match arrivals to entries.

## What data does the EU require for postal items?

For postal items flown into the EU, ICS2 requires entry summary data before arrival. Posts sent a minimum data set before loading from 15 March 2021, and since 1 March 2023 they must coordinate with their air carrier so the complete entry summary declaration is filed, directly in ICS2 or through the airline.

The entry summary declaration is a safety and security filing, separate from the customs declaration that settles duty and VAT. Before loading, the minimum is the 7+1 data set: the consignor's and consignee's names and addresses, the number of packages, the gross weight, a cargo description and an identifier. The complete declaration asks for more, item by item, and the [ICS2 guide](https://border.bot/docs/guides/countries/european-union/ics2) lists the rules on codes and descriptions. Norway, Switzerland and Northern Ireland take part in ICS2 too.

The customs declaration that follows, usually an H7 or the post's H6, is made from what the origin post sent, including the seller's IOSS number, which can travel in the ITMATT message. From 1 November 2026 it must also carry product identifiers for distance sales up to €150; see [postal parcels into the EU](https://border.bot/docs/guides/postal/european-union).

## What happens when EU advance data is missing?

When an item's ICS2 data is missing or inadequate, EU customs can stop it at the border, reject the filing or intervene, with possible sanctions for non-compliance. For air mail, customs can also send a referral through the posts asking for more information, asking for the item to be screened, or telling the origin post not to load it.

Under the UPU guidance an item with an open referral shouldn't be handed to the airline at all, so a vague description can hold a parcel up before it leaves the origin country.

## Which other countries require postal advance data?

Any UPU member country can set its own customs or security requirements for postal advance data and publish them to other posts through the UPU, which keeps a list of the countries and territories that have made it mandatory. Destinations can also require six-digit HS codes for commercial items by stating it in the relevant UPU compendium.

The 2025 UPU Congress in Dubai asked the UPU's Postal Operations Council to improve the data available for targeting, including 10-digit tariff codes and the country of origin where customs or security authorities say they need them.

## What changed and when

Postal advance data requirements have tightened step by step since the US STOP Act deadline at the end of 2020. ICS2 brought the EU in for air mail in 2021 and 2023, the UPU made HS codes and referral handling part of its rules in 2025, and 2026 brought new US entry data and new forms.

- **1 November 2026:** EU product identifiers in customs declarations. Distance sales up to €150 must carry product identifiers for each item. [European Commission guidance, 5 October 2026](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/053e5b4e-f0be-4f20-9a23-3e3b659a6676_en?filename=Customs%20Guidance%20on%20EUR%203%20customs%20duty.pdf)
- **8 October 2026:** CBP proposes S10 numbers on carriers' manifests. Carriers would report each mail item's UPU tracking number, to match the Entry Type 13 filing. [CBP, 91 FR 64532](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/08/2026-20650/low-value-shipments)
- **24 July 2026:** US postal entry needs the foreign post's tracking number. Filers report it for every parcel with its codes, origin, value and duty. [19 CFR 145.12(b)(3), eCFR](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/section-145.12)
- **1 June 2026:** UPU amends the CN 22 and CN 23. New versions of both forms take effect. [UPU Circular 86, 31 May 2024](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/05-actsRegulationsConventionAndPostalPayment/CIRC-2024-086.pdf)
- **1 September 2025:** HS codes on commercial postal items. Six-digit codes become mandatory for commercial items where the destination requires them. [WCO and UPU guidelines, 2025](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/postalSolutions/programmesAndServices/postalSupplyChain/customs/wcoPublicationsAndActivities/WcoUpuGuidelinesEadAndDataQuality2025En.pdf)
- **1 January 2025:** UPU rules on referrals. Origin posts must clear "do not load" referrals and answer requests for information or screening before loading. [WCO and UPU guidelines, 2025](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/postalSolutions/programmesAndServices/postalSupplyChain/customs/wcoPublicationsAndActivities/WcoUpuGuidelinesEadAndDataQuality2025En.pdf)
- **1 March 2023:** ICS2 Release 2 for air. Posts, couriers, forwarders and airlines must provide complete entry summary data for goods flown into the EU. [European Commission, 1 March 2023](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/import-control-system-2-ics2-release-2-go-live-2023-03-01_en)
- **15 March 2021:** ICS2 Release 1 for postal and express air. Pre-loading data for postal and express consignments by air. [European Commission, 30 June 2022](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/new-requirements-inbound-air-shipments-eu-2022-06-30_en)
- **31 December 2020:** US advance data required for all mail with goods. USPS must transmit advance data for every covered shipment or refuse it. [19 CFR 145.74, eCFR](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/section-145.74)

## What should you give your post for every item?

A seller gets its parcels through advance data checks by giving the post complete, specific data for every article when the label is made, because no one further down the chain can add it. The list below covers what the US, the EU and the UPU rules ask for between them.

- [ ] Full sender and recipient names and addresses, with the recipient's phone or email where you have it
- [ ] A specific description of each article, matching the invoice
- [ ] Quantity, weight and value for each article
- [ ] The HS code for each article: six digits at least, 10 for the US
- [ ] The country where each article was made
- [ ] The category of item and your invoice number
- [ ] Your IOSS number on EU orders where you use IOSS

The [commercial invoice generator](https://border.bot/tools/commercial-invoice-generator) puts the code, origin and description on every line, and the [HS code classifier](https://border.bot/tools/hs-code-classifier) finds the code for each product.

## Common questions

### What is an ITMATT message?

ITMATT is the UPU's electronic message for a postal item's customs data, sent by the origin post to the destination post before the item arrives. It must replicate the CN 22 or CN 23 and carry the item's S10 barcode.

### Does the STOP Act require HS codes on mail to the US?

CBP lists the 10-digit HS code and the country of origin as preferred, not mandatory, fields of the advance data. The postal informal entry needs both for every article, so give them anyway.

### What happens to a postal parcel without advance data?

For the US, USPS must refuse it unless CBP and USPS agree on remedial action such as correction, seizure or destruction. For the EU, an air mail item can be stopped, referred for more information or screening, or not loaded at all.

## Sources

- [19 CFR 145.73 to 145.75: Mandatory advance electronic data for mail shipments](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/section-145.74), eCFR, current as of 2026-10-28
- [Mandatory Advance Electronic Information for International Mail Shipments](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/15/2021-04373/mandatory-advance-electronic-information-for-international-mail-shipments), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Register, 2021-03-15
- [19 CFR 145.12: Entry of merchandise](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/section-145.12), eCFR, current as of 2026-10-28
- [Low-Value Shipments (proposed rule)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/08/2026-20650/low-value-shipments), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Register, 2026-10-08
- [Regulations to the Universal Postal Convention, Berne 2021 (articles 08-002 and 20-001)](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/05-actsRegulationsConventionAndPostalPayment/POC-REGL-2024-1%E2%94%80Doc-1.pdf), Universal Postal Union, published 2 September 2024
- [International Bureau Circular 86: amendments to the Convention Regulations](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/05-actsRegulationsConventionAndPostalPayment/CIRC-2024-086.pdf), Universal Postal Union, 31 May 2024
- [WCO and UPU Guidelines on the Exchange of Electronic Advance Data and Data Quality](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/postalSolutions/programmesAndServices/postalSupplyChain/customs/wcoPublicationsAndActivities/WcoUpuGuidelinesEadAndDataQuality2025En.pdf), World Customs Organization and Universal Postal Union, 2025 edition
- [Decisions of the 2025 Dubai Congress](https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/aboutUpu/acts/07-actsAndOtherDecisions2025DubaiCongress/2025DubaiCongressDecisionsEn.pdf), Universal Postal Union, 2025
- [Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Release 2: go-live](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/import-control-system-2-ics2-release-2-go-live-2023-03-01_en), European Commission, 1 March 2023
- [New requirements for inbound air shipments to the EU](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/new-requirements-inbound-air-shipments-eu-2022-06-30_en), European Commission, 30 June 2022
- [ICS2: the new EU customs advance cargo information system (factsheet)](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-11/201021_factsheet_taxud_ics2_en_0.pdf), European Commission, October 2020
- [Guidance on the customs treatment of low value consignments](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7bfb45b8-1f40-48b5-88e0-07960bf7ff9e_en?filename=Customs+Guidance+doc+on+LVC-Clean-20220915.pdf), European Commission (DG TAXUD), version of 15 September 2022
- [The temporary EUR 3 customs duty and the Union handling fee: guidance for Member States and trade](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/053e5b4e-f0be-4f20-9a23-3e3b659a6676_en?filename=Customs%20Guidance%20on%20EUR%203%20customs%20duty.pdf), European Commission (DG TAXUD), version of 5 October 2026