Common ETIM Namespace and Mandatory Field Errors in BMEcat Files

Why these errors keep happening

PIM systems generate BMEcat XML based on their internal data model, which rarely maps one-to-one to the ETIM guideline. The XSD schema catches structural problems, but many of the errors that get files rejected are business-rule violations that pass XSD validation. Trading partners then reject the file based on their own checks, sometimes weeks after submission.

Run your file through the ETIM BMEcat validator before sending. Here are the 10 errors it catches most often, with the XML that triggers them and the fix for each.

1. Namespace mismatch

Error: Namespace mismatch: schema "bmecat-etim-5.0" expects root namespace "https://www.etim-international.com/bmecat/50", found "https://www.etim-international.com/bmecat/40"

Cause: The file was exported with the ETIM 4.0 namespace but the receiving system validates against ETIM 5.0, or vice versa.

Wrong:

<BMECAT xmlns="https://www.etim-international.com/bmecat/40" version="5.0">

Right:

<BMECAT xmlns="https://www.etim-international.com/bmecat/50" version="5.0">

Fix: Update the xmlns attribute on the root BMECAT element. Confirm with your trading partner which schema version they expect. The namespace URI and the version number must match.

2. Missing guideline-mandatory fields in HEADER

Error: CATALOG: DATETIME type="catalog_date" is required

Cause: The ETIM guideline promotes certain fields from optional to mandatory. The XSD accepts the file without them, but the guideline does not. CATALOG date, SUPPLIER ADDRESS fields, and USER_DEFINED_EXTENSIONS are the most commonly missing header-level fields.

Fix: Add the missing elements. For DATETIME:

<CATALOG>
  <LANGUAGE default="true">eng</LANGUAGE>
  <CATALOG_ID>CAT-2026-001</CATALOG_ID>
  <CATALOG_VERSION>001</CATALOG_VERSION>
  <DATETIME type="catalog_date">
    <DATE>2026-03-19</DATE>
  </DATETIME>
  <!-- ... -->
</CATALOG>

3. Invalid ETIM class code format

Error: REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID "EC01049" should be format "EC######"

Cause: The class code is missing a leading zero, uses lowercase letters, or has the wrong number of digits. ETIM class codes are always EC followed by exactly six digits.

Wrong values: EC01049, ec001049, EC001049A, 1049

Right value: EC001049

Fix: Pad class codes with leading zeros to ensure exactly six digits after EC. Remove any suffix characters. Use uppercase.

4. Invalid feature code format

Error: FNAME "rated_current" should be format "EF######"

Cause: The PIM exports human-readable feature names instead of ETIM feature codes. Or the feature code is truncated.

Wrong:

<FNAME>rated_current</FNAME>
<FNAME>EF7</FNAME>

Right:

<FNAME>EF000007</FNAME>

Fix: Map all feature names to their ETIM codes. Feature codes are EF followed by exactly six digits. Use the ETIM classification portal or your PIM's ETIM mapping table to find the correct codes.

5. Boolean values as Yes/No instead of true/false

Error: Boolean feature values must be "true" or "false", not "Yes"

Cause: The source system stores boolean values as "Yes"/"No", "Y"/"N", "1"/"0", or "TRUE"/"FALSE". BMEcat ETIM requires lowercase true or false.

Wrong:

<FVALUE>Yes</FVALUE>
<FVALUE>1</FVALUE>
<FVALUE>TRUE</FVALUE>

Right:

<FVALUE>true</FVALUE>

Fix: Add a transformation step in your export pipeline that converts all boolean representations to lowercase true or false.

6. Comma as decimal separator

Error: PRICE_AMOUNT value "12,50" uses comma as decimal separator. Must use dot.

Cause: European locale settings in the PIM or ERP produce comma-separated decimals. This affects PRICE_AMOUNT, FVALUE for numeric features, dimensions, weights, and every other numeric field.

Wrong:

<PRICE_AMOUNT>12,50</PRICE_AMOUNT>
<FVALUE>16,5</FVALUE>

Right:

<PRICE_AMOUNT>12.50</PRICE_AMOUNT>
<FVALUE>16.5</FVALUE>

Fix: Configure your export to use invariant culture / POSIX locale for number formatting. Or apply a global find-and-replace, but be careful not to affect non-numeric commas in text fields.

After fixing decimal separators, validate your ETIM BMEcat XML again to confirm the fix did not introduce other issues.

7. Range values in a single FVALUE

Error: FVALUE "100-240" looks like a range. Range features must use two separate FVALUE elements, not one.

Cause: The PIM stores a voltage range as "100-240V" in a single field. The export writes this as one FVALUE element. ETIM requires two separate FVALUE elements for range values.

Wrong:

<FEATURE>
  <FNAME>EF000004</FNAME>
  <FVALUE>100-240</FVALUE>
  <FUNIT>VLT</FUNIT>
</FEATURE>

Right:

<FEATURE>
  <FNAME>EF000004</FNAME>
  <FVALUE>100</FVALUE>
  <FVALUE>240</FVALUE>
  <FUNIT>VLT</FUNIT>
</FEATURE>

Fix: Parse range values in your export step. Split on the hyphen (accounting for negative numbers), create two FVALUE elements. The first FVALUE is the lower bound, the second is the upper bound.

8. Missing FVALUE_DETAILS for dash values

Error: When FVALUE is "-", FVALUE_DETAILS (NA/MV/UN) is recommended

Cause: When a feature value is unknown or not applicable, the correct approach is to set FVALUE to "-" and add a FVALUE_DETAILS element explaining why. Many exports set the dash but omit the reason.

Wrong:

<FEATURE>
  <FNAME>EF000085</FNAME>
  <FVALUE>-</FVALUE>
</FEATURE>

Right:

<FEATURE>
  <FNAME>EF000085</FNAME>
  <FVALUE>-</FVALUE>
  <FVALUE_DETAILS>NA</FVALUE_DETAILS>
</FEATURE>

Valid FVALUE_DETAILS values:

• NA - not applicable (the feature does not apply to this product)
• MV - missing value (the value exists but is not available yet)
• UN - unknown (it is not known whether the feature applies)

9. ETIM version below trading partner requirement

Error: VEG/DE: ETIM version ETIM-7.0 is below 8.0, may be penalized in quality score

Cause: The file declares an older ETIM version. The German VEG Open Datacheck penalizes files using versions below 8.0. Other data pools have similar minimum version requirements.

Fix: Re-classify products using the required ETIM version. This is not a simple version-number change, as classes and features differ between versions. Products classified under ETIM 7.0 may need new class assignments in ETIM 9.0 due to class splits and merges.

10. Missing country-specific mandatory fields

Error: Product ABC123: SPECIAL_TREATMENT_CLASS is required for country DE

Cause: The ETIM guideline defines country-specific overrides. A field that is optional globally might be mandatory for a specific country. The most common ones:

Germany (DE):

• PRODUCT_STATUS on every product
• SPECIAL_TREATMENT_CLASS
• UDX.EDXF.ROHS_INDICATOR
• At least one product image (MIME code MD01)
• Packing unit dimensions (weight, length, width, depth)
• GTIN with valid GS1 check digit

Norway (NO):

• UDX.EDXF.MIME_ORDER on every MIME entry

Multiple countries (AT, BE, DE, DK, ES, FR, NL, PL):

• SPECIAL_TREATMENT_CLASS

Fix: Identify your target country from the TERRITORY element in the header, then check the guideline's country-specific requirements. The ETIM BMEcat validator automatically detects the country from your file and applies the relevant rules.

Fix priority

When facing dozens of errors, fix them in this order:

1. Namespace mismatch - blocks all further validation
2. XSD structural errors - missing required elements, wrong element order
3. Code format errors - EC/EF/EV codes with wrong format
4. Value type errors - booleans, decimals, ranges
5. Guideline mandatory fields - header and product level
6. Country-specific fields - based on target market
7. Content quality warnings - description length, image coverage, scorecard items

Each fix typically resolves multiple error instances across all products. A namespace fix resolves one error. A boolean format fix might resolve thousands.