Under the regulation, companies importing certain steel products into the EU will be required to declare the country of “melt and pour” during customs procedures. The Commission aims to improve the traceability of steel entering the EU supply chain and enable closer monitoring of the origins of global steel overcapacity.
Mill Test Certificate to serve as the primary document
Under the new system, the Mill Test Certificate (MTC) will serve as the primary document for proving the country of “melt and pour.” The MTC must include both the country where the steel was melted and poured and the heat number of the imported steel.
However, the Commission has established a more flexible framework, taking into account that the MTC is not a globally harmonized document and was not specifically designed to demonstrate “melt and pour” information.
If either of the required details is missing from the MTC, invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates, purchase orders or contracts, long-term supplier declarations, production and cost accounting documents, customs documents from the exporting country, commercial correspondence and production descriptions may be used as complementary evidence.
Alternative documents allowed without an MTC
One of the key aspects of the regulation is that alternative documents may be used as standalone evidence during the first year when an MTC is unavailable.
Accordingly, during the transition period from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, if an MTC cannot be provided, one or more of the documents listed above may be accepted as standalone evidence, provided they contain information on both the country of “melt and pour” and the heat number.
However, when documents other than an MTC are submitted, customs authorities may verify the accuracy of the information and supporting evidence. Access to the relevant tariff-rate quota may be delayed until these checks are completed.
Imports may be rejected if appropriate evidence is not provided
The Commission considers the failure to support the declared country of “melt and pour” with appropriate and verifiable evidence to be non-compliance with the steel import transparency requirements.
If the required information is not declared or the supporting evidence cannot be verified, customs authorities may reject the import. The country of “melt and pour” will also have to be declared using TARIC document codes.
Stricter rules to apply from 2027
The Commission is allowing a broader range of documents during the first year to give companies time to adapt to the new system. However, from 1 October 2027, the scope of acceptable evidence is expected to be narrowed.
The Commission will also keep the list of acceptable evidence for the country of “melt and pour” under continuous review and may amend the documentation requirements whenever necessary.
The new requirements form part of the EU’s broader trade regime aimed at addressing global steel overcapacity. For the steel industry, importers will need to establish processes ahead of 1 October to ensure that “melt and pour” and heat number information is consistently obtained from suppliers and properly documented throughout the supply chain.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1745959527061&uri=OJ:L_202601963&utm
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