European Union importers of steel products covered by the Steel Regulation must declare the country where the steel was melted and poured, backed by a Mill Test Certificate or other proof, from 1 October 2026.
The European Commission now requires importers of steel products covered by the EU Steel Regulation to declare, from 1 October 2026, the country where the steel was melted and poured, backed by a mill certificate or other proof.
The rule comes from an implementing act, a detailed rule the Commission adopts under a law, that it adopted on 31 August 20261. The act sets out which papers customs will accept as proof of that country1.
In short, every steel shipment covered by the Steel Regulation now needs one extra line on the customs declaration. That line names the country where the steel was first made, and the importer must have papers to prove it.
What is "melt and pour" for steel imports?
"Melt and pour" means the place where raw steel was first melted in a furnace and poured into a solid form. It is not always the country that rolled, cut or coated the final product. A coil made in one country can come from steel melted in another.
The Commission says the requirement makes steel imports more transparent and traceable1. It wants to know where imported steel really comes from. This lets it spot circumvention, which means routing goods through another country to avoid a duty1.
The Steel Regulation itself names the "melt and pour" principle as part of a clearer global steel market. It links the principle to the monitoring of imports and exports2.
What must steel importers declare from 1 October 2026?
The implementing act applies from 1 October 20261. From that day, importers must state the country of melt and pour on their customs declaration. Without it, they cannot bring steel products covered by the Steel Regulation into the EU market1.
The declaration must be supported by evidence. The Commission’s announcement sets out the papers in order of preference1. The first choice is a single document, and the others serve as backup.
The key reference on every paper is the heat number. This is the number a steel mill gives to each batch of steel it melts. It links a finished product to the furnace batch it came from.
Which papers prove the melt and pour country?
The first and main document is the Mill Test Certificate. This is the quality report a steel mill issues for its product. It must show both the country of melt and pour and the heat number of the imported steel1.
Papers that can prove the melt and pour country
The certificate may leave out one of those two facts, or there may be no certificate at all. In that case customs authorities may accept other papers that show the country and the heat number1. These may back up the certificate or, for now, stand alone1. The accepted papers are:
- invoices and delivery notes;
- quality certificates;
- clauses in purchase orders or contracts that have been carried out;
- long-term declarations from suppliers;
- cost accounting and production documents;
- customs documents from the exporting country;
- commercial letters and emails;
- production descriptions.
Customs authorities decide whether these papers are enough1. Each one must still give both the melt and pour country and the heat number1.
What changes for steel evidence on 1 October 2027?
The wider list of papers is a temporary relief. From 1 October 2027, those papers will only be accepted alongside a Mill Test Certificate, not on their own1.
Proof of melt and pour country, before and after
| Question | From 1 Oct 2026 | From 1 Oct 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Mill Test Certificate | First choice | Needed |
| Invoices and other papers | Backup or on their own | Only beside the certificate |
| Must show | Country and heat number | Country and heat number |
After that date, a shipment without a mill certificate will be harder to clear. An importer that today relies on an invoice or a supplier declaration alone will need the mill’s certificate as well. Buyers have one year to ask their suppliers abroad for these certificates.
The change puts the weight on steel mills. A trader that buys steel from a service centre or a re-roller will need the original mill’s paperwork to travel down the supply chain.
Why did the Commission act on steel traceability?
The Steel Regulation required the Commission to set out this evidence, and the implementing act answers that requirement1. EU member states backed the act unanimously on 19 August1.
The Commission ran a targeted consultation from 2 June to 4 July. It received feedback from nearly 170 stakeholders, including steel makers, steel users, traders, importers and industry groups1. They were asked which documents are the most practical and reliable proof of where steel was melted and poured1.
The Commission says the feedback showed which papers importers already use in daily trade. It chose a list meant to avoid an unnecessary burden on industry while still collecting reliable information1.
How does the Steel Regulation tax steel imports?
The melt and pour rule supports a larger measure. Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Steel Regulation, is dated 17 June 20262. It was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 24 June 20262. The Commission says it entered into force on 1 July 20261.
Steel rule dates
It replaces the old steel safeguard, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/159, which was due to expire on 30 June 20262. A safeguard is a temporary limit on imports to protect a home industry from a sudden rise in imports.
The new law works with tariff quotas, which are amounts of steel that can enter at a lower duty. Under the Steel Regulation, these quotas are free of duty and total 18.3 million tonnes a year1. The exact figure is 18,345,922 tonnes2. Imports above the quotas pay a 50% duty1.
The old safeguard set the out-of-quota duty at 25%. The new law raises it to 50% to reduce the risk of trade diversion, meaning steel shipped to the EU after being turned away from other markets2. This 50% comes on top of other duties that already apply to the products2.
The quotas are run every three months2. In the first year, an unused quota in one quarter carries over to the next quarter of the same year2.
Which countries does the steel rule cover?
The Steel Regulation covers imports from all origins except the EEA countries1. The EEA, the European Economic Area, joins the EU with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway2.
Imports from those three countries do not count against the quotas and do not pay the out-of-quota duty2. But they must still meet the melt and pour rule1. A Norwegian steel shipment therefore still needs a declared melt and pour country.
The law also covers countries that have a free trade agreement with the EU2. It covers countries that get lower EU tariffs under the generalised scheme of preferences, an EU programme of tariff cuts for developing countries2. Products from free trade partners may face a bilateral safeguard instead, where that is appropriate2.
The total quota was set by taking the import share of the EU market in 2013, about 13%, and applying it to EU steel use in 20242. That sum leaves out imports from Belarus and Russia, which are under import bans2.
Why does the EU say its steel industry needs protection?
The Steel Regulation gives figures for the problem it targets. World steel overcapacity, meaning the ability to make more steel than buyers need, was 602 million tonnes in 20242. That is five times EU demand, and it is expected to reach 721 million tonnes by 20272.
World steel overcapacity, million tonnes
The law says EU steel makers have lost more than 30 million tonnes of production capacity since 20182. Their capacity use fell to 67% in 2024, and around 30,000 jobs have been lost since 20182.
It also points to trade barriers in other countries. These push more steel toward the EU market, in volume and on price2. The Commission says checking the melt and pour country helps keep the EU steel measures effective against this overcapacity1.
Who is affected by the melt and pour rule?
The rule changes work for several groups:
- EU importers must name the melt and pour country on each customs declaration and hold proof of it.
- Customs brokers must fill in the new information and gather the papers from their clients.
- Steel mills abroad must put the country of melt and pour and the heat number on their certificates.
- Traders and re-rollers abroad must pass the original mill’s information to EU buyers.
A shipment that lacks the declaration cannot enter the EU market under the Steel Regulation1. Customs authorities check the papers1. The Commission says it will keep working with member states and businesses to make the new rules run smoothly1.
Key points on the EU melt and pour rule
The main facts of the new steel declaration are below.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What changed? | Importers must declare the steel’s melt and pour country |
| Who issued it? | The European Commission |
| When was it adopted? | 31 August 2026 |
| Which goods? | Steel products under the Steel Regulation |
| From when? | 1 October 2026 |
| Main proof | Mill Test Certificate with country and heat number |
| Other proof | Invoices, delivery notes, supplier declarations and more |
| Change in 2027 | From 1 October 2027, other papers only beside the certificate |
| Countries covered | All origins; EEA countries face only the melt and pour rule |
| Duty above quota | 50% |
| Yearly duty-free quota | 18.3 million tonnes |
The next date in the documents is 1 October 2027. From that day, an invoice or supplier declaration alone will no longer prove where imported steel was melted and poured; a Mill Test Certificate will be needed1.
Sources
- ↩ 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 – Trade and Economic Security https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-sets-type-evidence-be-provided-importers-prove-country-melt-and-pour-steel-products-2026-08-31_en
- ↩ Regulation – EU – 2026/1384 – EN – EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/1384/oj/eng