Steel and rules of origin: new US-EU developments

In recent months, the steel sector has once again come under the spotlight of international regulatory scrutiny. Legislative measures are proliferating, aimed at strengthening controls over the origin of materials and preventing duty circumvention practices. Among these, the US Section 232 regulation is particularly notable, as it extends declaration requirements not only to steel products but also to numerous goods containing steel or aluminium, or using them as packaging materials. This article examines the implications of these new regulatory developments for international supply chains, considering how enhanced origin requirements and traceability obligations affect economic operators in the EU and their compliance systems.