Issue

From 22 October 2026, Royal Mail requires a government-issued PGA Reference Number on shipments containing goods regulated by US federal agencies. This applies to products including food, cosmetics, medicines, toys, electronics, and plant or animal products.

Without this data, affected shipments risk being held at the US border.

Solution

Compliance is a three-step process. Steps 1 and 2 are completed outside Linnworks; Step 3 is the only action required in Linnworks.

Step 1 — Identify which products are affected

Import your product catalogue into Zonos, the free tool added to your Royal Mail account. You can do this by exporting your catalogue from Linnworks (SKU, product name, country of origin, and HS tariff code) and uploading it via CSV. Zonos will screen each item and flag any that require additional information for US entry.

For guidance on exporting your catalogue from Linnworks, see Item Export.

For guidance on importing into Zonos, visit royalmail.com/usabusinessupdates.

Step 2 — Register flagged products with the relevant US agency

For each product Zonos flags, register it with the appropriate US government agency directly:

• CPSC (cpsc.gov) — toys, children’s products, mattresses, bike helmets, and other regulated consumer goods
• FDA (fda.gov) — food, cosmetics, medicines, and medical devices
• Other agencies — USDA/APHIS, FCC, and others may apply depending on your product type

Once registered, the agency will issue a certificate or permit number. You will need this for Step 3.

Step 3 — Add the certificate number in Linnworks

Once you have your government-issued certificate or permit number, add it to the relevant products in Linnworks using the item extended property PgaReferenceNumber. This will be submitted automatically on Royal Mail shipments from 22 October.

To add item extended properties in Linnworks, see Item Extended Properties Import.