Commission sets type of evidence to be provided by importers to prove country of ‘melt and pour’ of steel products subject to EU Steel Regulation
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…
Standards & regulationEU industry & firmsEU institutionsMixedMaterialStructural shift
The mechanism
From 1 October 2026, importers of steel covered by the Steel Regulation need to declare where the steel was melted and poured and substantiate that claim in customs filings. This adds document collection and verification to consignments, raising compliance risk for traders and steel-using manufacturers with opaque supply chains. From 1 October 2027, a Mill Test Certificate becomes the core evidence, making supplier-level traceability more decisive. The Commission gains a firmer evidential basis to identify suspected circumvention.
The stakes
If enforcement follows, origin claims based on later processing become less useful for routing steel into the EU, strengthening the practical reach of EU steel measures amid overcapacity. It matters far less if customs authorities treat deficient documentation as a correctable formality rather than an import barrier.
How it reaches Europe
- Commission defines evidence requirementsThe implementing act specifies how importers substantiate melt-and-pour declarations.
- Importers declare melt-and-pour originCovered steel cannot enter the EU market without this customs declaration from 1 October 2026.
- Supplier documentation gains importanceListed documents become only complementary to a Mill Test Certificate from 1 October 2027.
- Customs can test origin claimsStandardised evidence gives the Commission and national authorities traceable information on production origin.
- EU steel importers face compliance exposureTheir access to covered imports depends on obtaining evidence from upstream suppliers.