Steel: Consultation on evidence of fusion and casting

Behind this technical subject, the Commission pursues a simple objective: to increase the transparency of supply chains and to ensure that the real origin of steel is clearly identifiable and verifiable.

In this text of 4 JuneThe Commission recalls that the European Steel Regulation aims to correct the negative effects of global overcapacity on the European market. This text, which will enter into force on 1 July 2026 (cf. Act of 23 April In particular, a system of duty-free import quotas fixed at 18.3 million tonnes and a customs duty of 50 % above these volumes is introduced.

But the Commission insists above all on one often less visible point: the practical implementation of the scheme. In order to function effectively, this Regulation will be supplemented by several implementing acts, including the one covered by the consultation launched on June 4.

This act will specify the evidence that importers will have to provide to demonstrate the exact location of steel fusion and casting. In other words, it is a question of defining concretely how to prove the real industrial origin of the product.

For four weeks, from 4 June to 2 July 2026, the European Executive seeks input from all stakeholders:

• Steel producers,
• Industrial users,
• Importers and traders,
• Transitians and logisticians,
• Professional associations,
• Customs administrations,
• Legal experts and consultants,
• Academic and research actors,
• Governments of Member States and third countries,
• As well as any interested parties.

The objective is to collect concrete returns from the ground in order to identify the most reliable but also the simplest evidence to be applied in commercial operations.

On the operational side, it is no longer a matter of discussing the principle of control, already established, but of its feasibility. How can we balance robust evidence, fluid trade and harmonisation between Member States? This is the subject of the future implementing act, which will be adopted by 31 August 2026 and should enter into force on 1 October 2026.

The Regulation is part of a broader strategy for protecting and stabilising the European steel industry. The Commission recalls that global imbalances related to overcapacity in production have led to significant distortions in trade, with a risk of diversion of flows to the European market.

In this context, the traceability of « fusion and casting » becomes a central tool for transparency and regulation. It provides a better understanding of the real origin of products and enhances the transparency of international steel trade.