The Commission’s implementing act responds to requirements laid down in the Steel Regulation, and was unanimously backed by EU Member States on 19 August.
The introduction of the country of ‘melt and pour’ requirement in the Steel Regulation aims to enhance the transparency and traceability of steel products imported into the European Union, allowing the Commission to address potential circumvention and ensure the effectiveness of EU steel measures against the effects of global overcapacity.
The Commission paid particular attention to feedback received by nearly 170 stakeholders in a targeted consultation open from 2 June to 4 July. The consultation gathered feedback from steel producers, steel users, traders, importers, industry associations and other interested parties on the most practical and reliable forms of documentation for verifying the country of ‘melt and pour’ of steel.
The feedback received shed light on the types of documentation importers use in their day-to-day transactions, ensuring that EU requirements do not put an unnecessary burden on industry, while still fulfilling their purpose of gathering information in a reliable manner for traceability purposes.
Next steps
The implementing act applies from 1 October 2026. From then on, importers must declare on their customs declaration the country in which the steel has been melted and poured, in order to be able to import steel products subject to the Steel Regulation into the EU market. They will need to support the declaration with the following evidence:
- To provide a Mill Test Certificate that includes the country of ‘melt and pour’ and the heat number of the imported steel;
- In case the Mill Test Certificate provided does not give information either on the country of ‘melt and pour’ or the heat number, or if no Mill Test Certificate can be provided at all, the following evidence may be considered by customs authorities as complementary to the Mill Test Certificate or as standalone evidence, provided that it gives information on the country of ‘melt and pour’ and the heat number: invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates and clauses in implemented purchase orders or contracts, long-term declarations from suppliers, cost accounting and production documents, customs documents from the exporting country, commercial correspondence, or production descriptions.
As of 1 October 2027, the listed documents will only be accepted as complementary to the Mill Test Certificate, rather than as standalone documents.
The Commission will continue to work closely with Member States and stakeholders to support the smooth implementation of the new traceability requirements.
Background
The EU Steel Regulation entered into force on 1 July 2026 to address the negative effects of persistent global overcapacity on the EU’s steel market. The measure is intended to protect the EU steel market from trade diversion and other harmful trade-related effects that threaten the long-term viability and sustainability of the European steel industry.
Under the Steel Regulation, free-of-duty quotas are set at 18.3 million tonnes, while imports above those quotas are subject to a 50% duty. The measure applies to all origins except EEA countries, which remain subject to ‘melt and pour’ traceability requirements.
Traceability is a central feature of the new framework. Importers must provide information demonstrating where the steel was originally melted and poured, thereby improving transparency and strengthening the enforceability of the measures.
