# EU Demands New Certificate of Origin for Steel Imports **Category:** Customs | **Source:** Europäische Kommission, GD Handel und wirtschaftliche Sicherheit | **Published:** 2026-09-22 | **Updated:** 2026-09-27 **Tags:** Stahlimport, Melt and Pour, Mill Test Certificate, EU-Zoll, Herkunftsnachweis, Heat Number, Stahlquote, Einfuhr, Zollabwicklung, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Zoll > EU steel imports require information on melting and casting country from October 1st. Traders and customs agents must now secure supplier documentation. --- From October 1, 2026, importers of affected steel products in the EU must specify in which country the raw steel was melted and initially cast. The rule is often referred to as "melt and pour." It is intended to prevent circumvention practices and make the origin of steel more traceable. The most important document is the Mill Test Certificate. It must contain the melting and casting country as well as the heat number. If this information is missing, customs authorities can accept additional documents during a transition period. Until the end of September 2027, certain documents such as invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates, supplier declarations, production records, or export customs documents can serve as supplementary or standalone proof under specific conditions. From October 1, 2027, these documents are only intended to supplement the mill test certificate. The requirement applies to steel products that fall under the new EU steel regulation. Therefore, the tariff classification number must first be checked. Not every metal product is automatically subject to the requirement. If the goods are covered and proof is missing, customs can reject the import. For freight forwarders, the risk lies in the documentation chain. The information must flow from the steel mill through traders and sellers to the EU importer. A simple statement such as "origin Turkey" or "shipment from China" is not necessarily sufficient, because country of origin, shipment country, and melting country can differ. --- Customs brokers should establish a mandatory field for smelting and casting country for the affected tariff numbers. Shippers must obtain the mill test certificate prior to departure and cross-reference it with the smelting number, invoice, and goods. For consolidated shipments, care must be taken to ensure that each lot can be clearly assigned. In short: As of October 1st, steel origin documentation up to the smelting process must be on file, otherwise border delays will occur. --- The new documentation requirement applies from 1 October 2026. The country of melting and first casting must be specified. The primary proof is a Mill Test Certificate. The certificate must also contain the Heat Number. Transitional rules for additional documents apply until 30 September 2027. From 1 October 2027, these documents serve only as supplementary evidence. Without sufficient documentation, customs may reject the import. The requirement also applies to EEA origin, although these are exempt from the customs quota. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Liechtenstein](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/li) - [Lithuania](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/lt) - [Belgium](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/be) - [Luxembourg](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/lu) - [Slovenia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/si) - [Croatia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/hr) - [Ireland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ie) - [Romania](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ro) - [Germany](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/de) - [France](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/fr) - [Italy](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/it) - [Netherlands](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/nl) - [Spain](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/es) - [Austria](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/at) - [Poland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/pl) - [Czechia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/cz) - [Sweden](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/se) - [Denmark](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/dk) - [Norway](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/no) - [Portugal](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/pt) - [Hungary](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/hu) - [Bulgaria](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/bg) - [Slovakia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/sk) - [Cyprus](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/cy) - [Estonia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ee) - [Greece](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/gr) - [Latvia](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/lv) - [Malta](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/mt) - [Iceland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/is) - [Finland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/fi) ### Glossary - [Import](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/import) - [Importer](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/importer-2) - [import clearance](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/import-clearance) - [Supplier's declaration](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/suppliers-declaration) - [Freight forwarder](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-forwarder) - [Shipping](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/shipping) - [Goods](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/goods) - [Customs duty](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/customs-duty) - [Customs Agent](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/customs-agent) - [Customs tariff number](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/customs-tariff-number-2) - [Customs authorities](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/customs-authorities) - [Melt and Pour](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/melt-and-pour) - [Mill Test Certificate (MTC)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/mill-test-certificate-mtc) - [Heat Number](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/heat-number) - [Evidence of origin](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/evidence-of-origin) - [Steel quota](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/steel-quota) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/eu-verlangt-neuen-herkunftsnachweis-fuer-stahlimporte-20260919075722](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/eu-verlangt-neuen-herkunftsnachweis-fuer-stahlimporte-20260919075722)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/eu-verlangt-neuen-herkunftsnachweis-fuer-stahlimporte-20260919075722](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/eu-verlangt-neuen-herkunftsnachweis-fuer-stahlimporte-20260919075722)*