On 31 August, the European Commission adopted an implementing act setting out the type of evidence that importers have to provide to prove the country of ‘melt and pour’ for the 26 steel product categories covered by the Steel Regulation. The country of ‘melt and pour’ is the original location where raw steel or iron is first produced in liquid form and then cast into its first solid state.
Informed by the outcome of a public consultation with stakeholders, the act is designed to rely on documentation already used in daily transactions, ensuring that the requirements are not unduly burdensome for industry while strengthening traceability and transparency.
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 Union, allowing the Commission to address potential circumvention and ensure the effectiveness of the measure against the effects of overcapacity.
The Steel Regulation ensures highly effective protection for the EU steel industry against the effects of global overcapacity, contributing to its long-term viability and sustainability. Such a measure was necessary in view of the unsustainable level of global overcapacity and the growing number of trade-restrictive measures in third countries, resulting in trade diversion into the EU market.
The EU Steel Regulation, in place since 1 July 2026, sets free-of-duty quotas at 18.3 million tonnes, with a 50% duty for out-of-quota imports, and introduces a melt and pour regime to enhance transparency. The measure applies to all origins except EEA countries, which will nevertheless still be subject to melt and pour requirements.
This implementing act received unanimous support from member states on 19 August and will start applying on 1 October 2026.