Barcode

A barcode is a mark composed of a set of regularly arranged bars, spaces, and their corresponding characters, used to represent certain product information. In foreign trade, barcodes are an important identifier for goods circulating in the international market. Common types include EAN-13, UPC, and Code 128. Usage scenarios cover retail product packaging, logistics tracking, warehouse management, and customs declaration. Precautions: Different countries have different requirements for barcode formats (e.g., the US mainly uses UPC, Europe uses EAN); barcodes need to be registered, usually obtained through the GS1 organization; printing quality must comply with ISO standards, otherwise scanning failures may affect customs clearance and shelf placement. Compared with QR codes, barcodes have smaller information capacity and can only represent numbers or letters, but are low-cost and widely supported by reading devices. Unlike SKUs (stock keeping units), barcodes are standardized globally unique identifiers, while SKUs are internal merchant codes. Foreign trade practitioners should ensure barcodes comply with import country regulations to avoid returns or fines due to labeling issues.