Does Melt & Pour also cover fittings and flanges, or tubes only?

Stainless tubes — seamless and welded alike — are explicitly covered under Annex I (see above). For fittings and flanges, the line-by-line attachment to Annex I could not be established with the sources consulted as of the verification date (15 August 2026) — the full scope, provision by provision, only becomes fully readable with the Commission implementing act due before 31 August 2026. This answer will be updated once it is published.

Can SPS itself certify the country of melt?

No: it is the material certificate issued by the producing mill, based on its own casting records, that carries this information. We pass it on systematically with your order.

Does the clause apply to material already in partner stock before 1 October 2026?

The base text of Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 sets out no explicit transitional regime, in the elements consulted as of the verification date (15 August 2026), for goods already in stock at the 1 October 2026 switchover. The implementing act due before 31 August 2026 is the most likely source of such a provision, if one exists — this answer will be updated once it is published.

Where can I find the official regulation text?

The full text is published on EUR-Lex, the official website of European Union law: Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 of 17 June 2026.

MIS À JOUR LE 15 August 2026 · VÉRIFIÉ CONTRE Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 4

STEEL REGULATION

Melt & Pour traceability: what it requires from importers

From 1 October 2026, importers of steel product categories covered by Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 must prove the country where the steel was first produced in liquid form — the so-called Melt & Pour clause. It is not a tax: it is documentary evidence to be produced at import.

What is the Melt & Pour clause?

It is the importer's obligation to prove the country where the raw steel was first produced in liquid form in a furnace and then cast into its first solid state — not the country of any later processing into tube, fitting or flange. The regulation requires "verifiable, appropriate evidence", such as a mill test certificate.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 4(1) · verified 15 August 2026

From what date does it apply?

The evidence requirement applies from 1 October 2026, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, which itself applies since 1 July 2026. The European Commission must publish, by 31 August 2026, an implementing act specifying exactly what evidence is accepted — not yet published as of this page's verification date.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Article 4(2) and Article 14 · verified 15 August 2026 Source: European Commission — consultation on country-of-melt-and-pour evidence · verified 15 August 2026

Which products are covered?

The steel product categories listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2026/1384. Stainless steel tubes are named explicitly, seamless and welded alike: seamless tubes under CN codes 7304 11 00, 7304 22 00, 7304 24 00, 7304 41 00, 7304 49 83, 7304 49 85 and 7304 49 89, welded tubes under heading 7306. Whether stainless fittings and flanges attach to a specific Annex I category could not be confirmed line by line as of the verification date (15 August 2026) — see the dedicated FAQ question below.

Source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1384, Annex I · verified 15 August 2026

What happens if you cannot prove the country of melt?

The regulation imposes the evidence obligation but does not detail, in the base text consulted, the regime applicable when evidence is missing at import — neither an explicit release refusal nor a penalty scale could be confirmed as of the verification date (15 August 2026). This is exactly what the Commission's implementing act, due before 31 August 2026, should clarify: beyond the type of evidence accepted, it should cover the treatment of missing or insufficient evidence. This answer will be updated once it is published — not before, to avoid displaying the wrong sanction regime.

What SPS provides you

We obtain melt-and-pour traceability data from our partner mills on every batch delivered — the information your customs broker will ask you for from 1 October 2026.

The EN 10204 material certificate accompanying your order already carries this origin traceability. The import declaration remains yours; the data is ours.

Frequently asked questions

Does Melt & Pour also cover fittings and flanges, or tubes only?: Stainless tubes — seamless and welded alike — are explicitly covered under Annex I (see above). For fittings and flanges, the line-by-line attachment to Annex I could not be established with the sources consulted as of the verification date (15 August 2026) — the full scope, provision by provision, only becomes fully readable with the Commission implementing act due before 31 August 2026. This answer will be updated once it is published.
Can SPS itself certify the country of melt?: No: it is the material certificate issued by the producing mill, based on its own casting records, that carries this information. We pass it on systematically with your order.
Does the clause apply to material already in partner stock before 1 October 2026?: The base text of Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 sets out no explicit transitional regime, in the elements consulted as of the verification date (15 August 2026), for goods already in stock at the 1 October 2026 switchover. The implementing act due before 31 August 2026 is the most likely source of such a provision, if one exists — this answer will be updated once it is published.
Where can I find the official regulation text?: The full text is published on EUR-Lex, the official website of European Union law: Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 of 17 June 2026.

Guillaume Roché

Partner

Published 15 August 2026 · Updated 15 August 2026