New steel import rules take effect in Croatia with stricter checks on where steel was made

ZAGREB, 1 October 2026 – New rules governing steel imports into the European Union have come into force, requiring importers in Croatia to declare the country where steel was originally melted and cast.

The Croatian Customs Administration announced that from 1 October 2026, importers of products covered by the new EU measures must provide information on the so-called “melt and pour” country.

The requirement forms part of a new EU framework designed to address the effects of global excess steel production capacity on the European steel market and prevent measures from being circumvented.

The “melt and pour” country refers to the country where raw steel or iron was first produced in liquid form and then cast into its first solid form.

This could include semi-finished products such as slabs, billets and ingots, as well as finished steel products.

Importers must provide evidence confirming the relevant country.

The principal document is a Mill Test Certificate (MTC), which must contain information on the country of melting and casting and the relevant heat number.

However, Croatian Customs says additional documents can also be used where the information is not contained in the MTC.

These include invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates, purchase or contract clauses, long-term supplier declarations, production and costing documents, export-country customs documents, business correspondence and production descriptions.

There is also a transitional arrangement.

Between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027, imports can be cleared without an MTC provided the necessary information is contained in one or more of the permitted supplementary documents.

The new declaration system has also been incorporated into the EU’s TARIC customs system.

The Croatian Customs Administration has listed specific codes for different countries of origin, including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Algeria, Japan, South Korea, Türkiye and Iran, as well as the EU and other categories.

The measures form part of a wider EU response to pressure on the European steel market.

For Croatian businesses importing steel products from outside the EU, the changes mean that information about the material’s production history becomes an explicit part of the customs process.

The new requirement does not simply concern where a finished steel product was shipped from. Instead, importers must establish where the underlying steel was originally melted and cast.

Customs authorities say the documentation is intended to provide greater traceability and help ensure that the new trade measures can be properly enforced.