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CBAM cost estimator. Know your carbon cost early.

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) puts a carbon price on imports of iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity, paid by surrendering CBAM certificates for the emissions embedded in the goods. Enter your tonnes, embedded emissions and benchmark, and this estimator shows the certificates you need, the yearly cost and cost per tonne, whether the 50-tonne exemption applies, and the dates to plan for.

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Your CBAM goods

Definitive period, from 2026

Goods and volume

Goods category Country of origin Imported this year tonnes, net Other CBAM goods, same year tonnesCounts towards the 50-tonne threshold Year of import

Embedded emissions

Embedded emissions tCO2e per tonneBest: your supplier's verified actual value. Otherwise the EU default value for your CN code and country (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621). CBAM benchmark tCO2e per tonneFor your CN code and production route (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620, Annex point 5). It sets the free allocation deduction.

Price and adjustments

CBAM certificate price EUR per tCO2eOfficial Q2 2026 price, published 6 July 2026. Q3 is due 5 October 2026. CBAM factor % free allocation keptSet by the year you choose (97.5% in 2026) Carbon price paid at origin EUR per tCO2eOnly a price effectively paid, net of rebates Cross-sectoral correction factorPublished by the Commission; 1 applies no correction

Estimated CBAM cost per year€0

Certificates needed0

Cost per tonne of product€0

Dates that matter

What to ask your supplier

This is an estimate. Your declared figures depend on your CN codes, verified installation data, the quarterly certificate price and the Commission's final benchmarks. Formula: certificates = embedded emissions − (CBAM factor × correction factor × CBAM benchmark) per tonne, × tonnes, less any reduction for carbon price paid at origin (converted here at the CBAM price). One certificate covers one tonne of CO2e.

Need verified emissions data from your supplier? Ask our team, free

How it works

Three steps. One clear answer.

01
Choose the goods category, origin and year, and enter the tonnes you import and any other CBAM goods you bring in that year.
02
Enter embedded emissions and the CBAM benchmark for your CN code, from your supplier's verified data or the EU default tables, or fill an indicative example.
03
Read the certificates and cost, the free allocation deduction, the threshold check, the key dates and what to ask your supplier.

Method and sources

Certificates = tonnes × (embedded emissions per tonne − CBAM factor × cross-sectoral correction factor × CBAM benchmark), floored at zero, less any reduction for a carbon price effectively paid in the country of origin (Art. 9), here converted at the CBAM price. One certificate covers one tonne of CO2e. The free allocation adjustment follows Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620; the CBAM factor is 97.5% in 2026, 95% in 2027, 90% in 2028, 77.5% in 2029, 51.5% in 2030, 39% in 2031, 26.5% in 2032, 14% in 2033 and none from 2034 (Directive 2003/87/EC Art. 10a(1a) as amended by Directive (EU) 2023/959). The default certificate price is the official Q2 2026 price of €75.28 per tCO2e; 2026 prices are quarterly averages of EU ETS auction prices. Importers are exempt when their CBAM goods total no more than 50 tonnes net in a calendar year (not for electricity or hydrogen; Regulation (EU) 2025/2083). Indicative examples use default values (with the 2026 mark-up) from Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621 and default CBAM benchmarks (Column B) from Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620.

Results are estimates to support your decisions. For binding figures, ask our team or your customs broker.

CBAM estimator questions

Straight answers.

Anything else, ask us directly. A principal replies, not a bot.

anirudh@sourcesquid.co

Which goods does CBAM cover?

Imports of cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen, listed by CN code in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2023/956. Many downstream steel products such as screws, bolts and other articles of iron or steel are included.

Is there a CBAM threshold for small importers?

Yes. Since the 2025 simplification, an importer is exempt when the total net mass of CBAM goods it imports in a calendar year is 50 tonnes or less, across all CN codes. Above 50 tonnes, all CBAM goods imported that year are covered. The exemption does not apply to electricity or hydrogen.

How much does a CBAM certificate cost?

For 2026 imports, the price is the quarterly average of EU ETS auction prices for the quarter of import. The official Q1 2026 price was €75.36 and the Q2 2026 price €75.28 per tonne of CO2e. From 2027 the price is a weekly average.

When is the first CBAM declaration due?

The first annual CBAM declaration, covering 2026 imports, is due by 30 September 2027, and the certificates for 2026 emissions are surrendered by the same date. Certificate sales on the central platform start on 1 February 2027.

Should I use default values or actual emissions data?

Actual, verified installation-level data from your supplier usually gives a lower and more accurate figure. EU default values from Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621 include a mark-up of 10% in 2026 for most goods, rising to 30% from 2028 (1% for fertilisers).

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