New Year – time for the new SOVA master file: Are you ready?
At the turn of the year, the Federal Statistical Office regularly publishes the updated goods directory for foreign trade statistics (WA). This also includes the new SOVA master file, which contains all valid statistical goods numbers and goods descriptions for the coming year.
Link to the SOVA master file:
Goods directory 2026 – Sova master file – Federal Statistical Office
For companies, this means that the statistical commodity codes used to date must be reviewed and, if necessary, completely reevaluated. It is not possible to simply continue using all the old codes if numbers, descriptions, or classification logic change.
What are the challenges?
Changes to commodity codes: Every year, some codes are discontinued, new ones are added, and existing codes are changed.
Overview of changes in the 2026 goods directory:
Commodity list for foreign trade statistics 2026 - IHK Regensburg for Oberpfalz / KelheimRedefining content: In addition to the numbers themselves, descriptions or the classification of product groups can also be adjusted, for example, for plastics, textiles, foodstuffs, or technical goods.
Complexity of the changeover: Companies must check whether an old commodity code can be clearly assigned to a new one or whether a complete reassessment is necessary.
Affected follow-up processes: Tariff classification affects customs clearance, export control, preference calculation, Intrastat, and documentation requirements. Errors therefore have an impact in several areas.
Time pressure & risks: Incomplete conversions can result in incorrect declarations, delays in customs clearance, or additional financial claims
What specifically will change?
HS headings affected by changes in 2026 include:
2841 90, 2842 90, 2909 30, 2915 90, 3801 10, 3818, 7308 20, 8410 90, 8412 90, 8501 33, 8504 40, 8507 90, 8543 90.
Other important changes to the content include:
new or revised explanations on pasta, dichloroethylene, copolymers, polyethylene terephthalate, forklift trucks, construction machinery, lamps, Christmas articles (classification changed, note 1 to Chapter 95 deleted), and glow sticks;
Adjustments to descriptions and footnotes in various CN codes;
Removal of a unit of measurement for 7019 1900.
Why is an SAP-integrated tariff solution necessary even beyond the turn of the year?
The turn of the year is only one visible highlight of the changes. In fact, tariffing and classification are ongoing tasks that are affected by:
- new regulatory requirements,
- changed import or export regulations,
- new technical product features,
- changed supply chain requirements,
- and EU-wide harmonized updates
are constantly changing.
Manual processes are reaching their limits:
- they are prone to errors
- They scale poorly
- They are time-consuming
- They complicate audit and compliance documentation
An SAP-integrated solution, on the other hand, ensures that changes are recorded transparently, are available system-wide, and that all subsequent processes are consistently supplied with data.
What advantages does Mercoline's tariffing solution offer for ECC and S/4HANA?
The Mercoline pricing solution helps companies map pricing reliably, efficiently, and transparently - regardless of whether they use SAP ECC or SAP S/4HANA.
The most important features:
Direct integration into SAP
There are no isolated solutions, as pricing takes place where the relevant data is generatedUpdating of the SOVA master file
New product numbers and changes are provided, versioned, and historized centrally.Comment and history function
Storage of binding tariff information (BTI) for goods
Suggestion function for similar materials to speed up tariff classification
The cockpit gives you access to overviews of all pricing and repricing at any time.Consistent master data maintenance
Uniform classification for material master data, documents, and all foreign trade processes.Support for all relevant processes
Export control, preference calculation, customs clearance, Intrastat, and statistical reports.Efficient search and evaluation functions
Simplified classification, comparisons, change analyses.Ideal for the transition to S/4HANA
Uniform logic, regardless of which SAP system is used – perfect for companies in the transformation process and for preparing for efficient migration to S/4HANA.
Well prepared with M.SecureTrade
Every year, the turn of the year highlights the importance of a reliable, system-integrated pricing solution. Changes in the list of goods, new requirements from statistics or customs authorities, and the increasing complexity of global supply chains make automatic, SAP-integrated pricing indispensable.
If you would like to know how our solution can ease your daily business or how tariffing can be optimally integrated into your existing SAP system (ECC or S/4HANA), please feel free to contact us.
Contact us for a demo or consultation.