{"id":173,"date":"2026-11-04T12:30:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T10:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/?p=173"},"modified":"2026-11-04T12:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T10:30:15","slug":"steel-eu-quotas-tariff-melt-and-pour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/en\/steel-eu-quotas-tariff-melt-and-pour\/","title":{"rendered":"Steel exports to the EU: 50% tariff, quotas and melt and pour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone shipping steel from Switzerland to Italy or another European Union country needs to be aware of two changes. Since <strong>1 July 2026<\/strong>, the EU has applied new trade defence measures on steel, with duty-free quotas and a <strong>50% tariff<\/strong> above the quotas. Since <strong>1 October 2026<\/strong>, imports into the EU must also declare the steel&#8217;s <strong>country of melt and pour<\/strong> and its <strong>heat number<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The measures also apply to Switzerland. Here is what has changed, which products are affected and which documents to prepare before shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The new EU steel measures at a glance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Legal basis<\/strong>: Regulation (EU) 2026\/1384 of 24 June 2026. Country quotas are allocated by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026\/1457.<\/li><li><strong>In force<\/strong>: since 1 July 2026, with no end date. They replace the safeguard measures that expired at the end of June 2026.<\/li><li><strong>Products<\/strong>: 30 categories of steel products (chapters 72 and 73 of the tariff), listed in Annex I of the regulation.<\/li><li><strong>Countries<\/strong>: all third countries, <strong>including Switzerland<\/strong>. Only Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA\/EFTA) are excluded.<\/li><li><strong>Duty-free quotas<\/strong>: 18.3 million tonnes in total. Above the quotas, a <strong>50% tariff<\/strong> applies.<\/li><li><strong>Origin<\/strong>: what counts is non-preferential origin under the Union Customs Code (Art. 59 et seq.).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the quotas work for Swiss goods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quotas run each year from 1 July to 30 June and are managed quarterly: the annual volume is divided by four, and any unused volume carries over to the next quarter of the same year. The EU import declaration must state the quota&#8217;s <strong>order number<\/strong>; the European Commission website shows how much duty-free volume is still available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Switzerland there are three situations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Switzerland-specific quotas<\/strong> (categories 12, 14, 16, 17, 26 and 27): the \u201cSwitzerland\u201d quota, reserved for Swiss goods only, is used first; once it is used up, the \u201cFTA quota \u2013 country-specific quota\u201d applies, shared with the EU&#8217;s other free-trade partners on a first-come, first-served basis.<\/li><li><strong>Residual quotas<\/strong> (categories 1B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25A, 25B and 28): the \u201cOther countries\u201d quota and the \u201cFTA quota \u2013 other countries\u201d are available at the same time; at customs clearance you choose which order number to use.<\/li><li><strong>Special cases<\/strong> (categories 1A, 2, 4B, 9 and 21): Switzerland has a guaranteed \u201cSwitzerland\u201d quota. For categories 2, 4B, 9 and 21 it can also use the \u201cOther countries\u201d quota; for 1A there is only the \u201cSwitzerland\u201d quota. In these categories Switzerland has no access to the \u201cFTA quota \u2013 other countries\u201d.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which products are affected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Cat.<\/th><th>Products<\/th><th>Customs headings (first 4 digits)<\/th><th>Quotas for Switzerland<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1A<\/td><td>Hot-rolled sheets and strips (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7208, 7211, 7225, 7226<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1B<\/td><td>Hot-rolled sheets and strips (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7212<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Cold-rolled sheets (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7209, 7211, 7225, 7226<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + Other countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3A<\/td><td>Electrical sheets (other than GOES)<\/td><td>7209<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3B<\/td><td>Electrical sheets (other than GOES)<\/td><td>7225, 7226<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4A<\/td><td>Metallic-coated sheets<\/td><td>7210, 7212, 7225, 7226<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4B<\/td><td>Metallic-coated sheets<\/td><td>7210, 7212, 7225, 7226<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + Other countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Organic-coated sheets<\/td><td>7210, 7212<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Tin mill products<\/td><td>7209, 7210, 7212<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Quarto plates (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7208, 7210, 7225<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Stainless hot-rolled sheets and strips<\/td><td>7219, 7220<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>Stainless cold-rolled sheets and strips<\/td><td>7219, 7220<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + Other countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>Stainless hot-rolled quarto plates<\/td><td>7219<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>Merchant bars and light sections (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7214, 7215, 7216, 7228<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>Rebars<\/td><td>7214, 7228<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>Stainless bars and light sections<\/td><td>7222<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>Stainless wire rod<\/td><td>7221<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>Non-alloy and other alloy wire rod<\/td><td>7213, 7227<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>Sections of iron or non-alloy steel<\/td><td>7216<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>Sheet piling<\/td><td>7301<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>Railway material<\/td><td>7302<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>Gas pipes<\/td><td>7306<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td>Hollow sections<\/td><td>7306<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + Other countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td>Seamless stainless tubes and pipes<\/td><td>7304<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>24<\/td><td>Other seamless tubes<\/td><td>7304<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25A<\/td><td>Large welded tubes<\/td><td>7305<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25B<\/td><td>Large welded tubes<\/td><td>7305<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>26<\/td><td>Other welded pipes<\/td><td>7306<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>27<\/td><td>Cold-finished bars (non-alloy and other alloy steel)<\/td><td>7215, 7228<\/td><td>\u201cSwitzerland\u201d + country-specific FTA<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>28<\/td><td>Non-alloy wire<\/td><td>7217<\/td><td>Other countries \/ FTA<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2026\/1384 and SECO fact sheet. The 4-digit headings are indicative only: the full 8-digit CN code (or TARIC) in Annex I is what applies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Since 1 October 2026: country of melt and pour and heat number<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026\/1963, published on 31 August 2026, importers of Annex I products must present documents to EU customs showing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the <strong>country where the steel was melted and poured<\/strong> (\u201cmelt and pour\u201d);<\/li><li>the <strong>heat number<\/strong> of the imported steel.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Without this information, release of the goods can be blocked.<\/strong> The data therefore needs to be obtained before shipping, not when the truck is already at customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which documents you need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main document is the <strong>manufacturer&#8217;s certificate<\/strong>, known as the <strong>mill test certificate (MTC)<\/strong>, which shows the country of melt and pour and the heat number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the certificate is incomplete, it can be supplemented <strong>until 30 September 2027<\/strong> with other documents, provided they contain the country of melt and pour and the heat number. The regulation accepts only the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>invoices;<\/li><li>delivery notes;<\/li><li>quality certificates and clauses of purchase orders or executed contracts;<\/li><li>long-term supplier declarations;<\/li><li>cost accounting and production records;<\/li><li>customs documents of the exporting country;<\/li><li>commercial correspondence;<\/li><li>product descriptions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">EU customs decides case by case whether the supplementary documentation is sufficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Checklist for steel exporters to the EU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Check whether your goods fall under Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2026\/1384, using the full customs code.<\/li><li>Involve suppliers and steel mills early: ask for the mill test certificate showing the country of melt and pour and the heat number.<\/li><li>Check that the data actually appears on the documents accompanying the goods.<\/li><li>Decide in advance how to handle cases where the certificate is missing or incomplete (supplementary documents accepted until 30.9.2027).<\/li><li>Check the non-preferential origin of the goods and the applicable quota, so you don&#8217;t end up paying the 50% tariff.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spedimar and steel shipments to Italy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From our base on the border at Chiasso, we ship goods between Switzerland and Italy every day. For steel products, we check the customs code, origin and melt and pour documents with you before departure, so your goods don&#8217;t get held at customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/en\/contact_us\"><strong>Contact us<\/strong><\/a>, or find out more about our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/en\/services\/transports\">Switzerland\u2013Italy transport with customs clearance<\/a> and our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/en\/services\/customs\">customs clearance<\/a> service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcde +41 91 682 95 79 \ud83d\udce7 <a href=\"mailto:info@spedimar.ch\">info@spedimar.ch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2026\/1384\/oj\">Regulation (EU) 2026\/1384<\/a>, Implementing Regulations (EU) 2026\/1457 and 2026\/1963, SECO fact sheet on the new EU steel measures from 1 July 2026. Information as of November 2026: always check the official texts and the status of the quotas on the European Commission website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steel from Switzerland to the EU: duty-free quotas, a 50% tariff above the quotas and, since 1 October 2026, mandatory country of melt and pour and heat number.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[173,175,177,181,176],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-en","tag-customs-clearance","tag-eu-tariffs","tag-steel","tag-swiss-customs","tag-tariff-quotas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":174,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173\/revisions\/174"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spedimar.ch\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}