GPSR · United Kingdom
GPSR for UK sellers: what Brexit changed for shipping to the EU
Since Brexit, a UK business is treated as a non-EU seller under the EU's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). If you ship physical products from Great Britain to EU customers, you now have to appoint an EU-based Responsible Person and show their details on every product page, exactly like a seller in the US or Asia. The regulation has applied since 13 December 2024.
What Brexit changed for GPSR
Before Brexit, a UK company was established in the EU, so it could be its own economic operator for EU product rules. After Brexit, Great Britain sits outside the EU market. For GPSR that is the decisive fact: when your manufacturer and your business are both outside the EU, you must appoint an EU-based Responsible Person to place products on the EU market legally.
In other words, a UK seller shipping to the EU is now in the same position as a US seller, and often has *more* to arrange than an EU competitor, because there is no EU entity left to lean on.
Does GPSR apply to UK sellers?
Yes, if you sell to EU consumers. GPSR is destination-based: it attaches to placing goods on the EU market, not to where your company is. Selling from a UK Shopify store to a customer in Germany, France, or Ireland puts you squarely in scope, including for distance sales through your own website rather than a marketplace.
GPSR is not the same as UK product safety law
Great Britain has its own product-safety regime and the UKCA marking story. GPSR is a separate, EU requirement that applies to what you sell *into the EU*. Meeting UK rules does not cover your EU sales, and vice versa.
What UK Shopify sellers must do
- Appoint an EU Responsible Person and show their name, EU address, and contact on each product page. See our EU Responsible Person guide.
- Keep basic safety documentation, such as instructions, warnings, and product identification.
- Label correctly with manufacturer details and any required warnings, in the language of the country of sale.
- Check EPR, because packaging, electronics, and batteries trigger separate per-country registration in the EU.
The Northern Ireland exception
Northern Ireland is the wrinkle. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland continues to follow EU rules for goods, so a business established in Northern Ireland can generally still act as an economic operator for the EU in a way a Great Britain business cannot. If your legal establishment is in NI, your position differs from a GB seller's, so check it specifically rather than assuming the GB answer applies.
The Responsible Person is the blocker
Most UK sellers can handle labelling and documentation in-house. The part that stops people is the Responsible Person: it must be established in the EU, so you appoint a third-party service, an EU distributor, or an EU fulfilment partner. Our pillar guide walks through each route, and our Shopify how-to shows how to display the details on your product pages.
Do not forget EPR
GPSR is one layer. If your products ship in packaging (almost all do), or contain electronics or batteries, you also owe EPR in each EU country you sell into, such as Germany's LUCID and France's Citeo. From 12 August 2026, non-EU sellers, including UK ones, also need a packaging authorised representative per member state.
- Confirm GPSR applies: you ship physical goods from GB to EU consumers
- Appoint an EU Responsible Person and add their details to every product page
- Check whether your establishment is in NI, which changes your position
- Register for EPR (start with packaging) in each EU country you ship to
- Note the 12 August 2026 packaging-representative deadline
Assuro does the tracking: connect your Shopify store and it flags exactly which products are missing GPSR or EPR data, by country, and writes the GPSR fields back into Shopify for you. Free to scan your whole catalogue, no credit card. It organizes and flags; it does not act as your Responsible Person or file for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK sellers still need an EU Responsible Person after Brexit?
Yes. After Brexit, Great Britain is outside the EU market, so a GB seller shipping to EU consumers is a non-EU seller under GPSR and must appoint an EU-established Responsible Person, shown on each product page.
Is GPSR the same as UKCA or CE marking?
No. UKCA and CE marking show a product meets specific product directives. GPSR is a broader EU product-safety regulation that applies on top, and it adds the EU Responsible Person requirement for non-EU sellers, including UK ones.
Does Northern Ireland count as the EU for GPSR?
Northern Ireland follows EU goods rules under the Windsor Framework, so a business established in NI is in a different position from a Great Britain business and may be able to act as an EU economic operator. If you are established in NI, check your specific situation.
I only sell through my own UK Shopify store, not Amazon. Does GPSR still apply?
Yes. GPSR applies to distance sales to EU consumers, including your own website. You still need an EU Responsible Person and the required information shown on the product page.
See where your store actually stands
Connect your Shopify store and Assuro flags which products are missing GPSR and EPR data, country by country, and tracks every deadline. Free to scan, no credit card.
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