CBAM certificate cost: what your EU buyer will pay, and how your data changes it

Your EU buyer pays for CBAM certificates, not you. But the number of certificates they buy depends on the emissions figure you give them, and that decides whether your goods stay competitive.

Who buys CBAM certificates

The EU importer, acting as an authorised CBAM declarant, buys and surrenders CBAM certificates for the embedded emissions of the CBAM goods it imports. Your factory doesn't buy them. But the importer can only calculate how many it needs from the emissions data you provide, or, if you don't provide usable data, from the EU's default values.

How the price is set

One CBAM certificate covers one tonne of CO2e. Its price follows the auction price of EU Emissions Trading System allowances, so importers pay a carbon price comparable to what EU producers pay.

• 2026 imports: the Commission publishes one price per quarter, calculated in the first week after the quarter ends, and each quarterly price applies to goods imported in that quarter.
• Published so far: €75.36 per tonne for Q1 2026 and €75.28 for Q2 2026. The Q3 price is due in the first week of October 2026.
• When they're bought: sales of certificates for 2026 imports open on 1 February 2027. The first declaration and surrender is due on 30 September 2027.
• From 2027: the price is set weekly, and certificates can be bought during the year.

How many certificates your buyer needs

EU producers in these sectors still receive some free emission allowances until 2034. To keep things equal, importers get a matching deduction: part of the CBAM benchmark for the product (the EU's reference emissions per tonne) is deducted from the embedded emissions. That deduction shrinks every year.

Certificates per tonne ≈ embedded emissions per tonne − (benchmark × share deducted), and never less than zero.

The deduction is based on the benchmark, not on your actual emissions. So an efficient producer can owe very little in the early years, while every tonne above the benchmark is paid for in full, from the first year.

Worked example: actual data versus default values

An importer buys 1,000 tonnes of aluminium profiles. To show the effect clearly, this example uses an illustrative benchmark of 2.0 t CO2e per tonne, actual emissions of 2.5, an illustrative default value of 4.0, and a certificate price of €75.30 held constant. These are not official figures for any product or country.

In this example, good actual data saves the importer about €143,000 in 2026 and over €200,000 in 2030 on the same 1,000 tonnes. Buyers notice differences like that when they choose suppliers.

Carbon prices paid where the goods are made

If a carbon price has actually been paid in the country of production, the importer can deduct it from the certificates it needs, with proof of payment. Several Asian countries are developing carbon markets. Until a carbon price is actually paid on your production, this deduction won't apply.

What this means for you

1. Calculate your actual emissions with the EU method, so you know whether you're above or below the default for your product and country.
2. Get your metal suppliers' data. For extruders and fastener makers, precursors are usually most of the figure.
3. Plan verification if your figure is well below the default. Your buyer can only use actual data once it's verified.
4. Talk to your buyer about cost, not only compliance. Showing how your data lowers their certificate bill is a strong reason to keep buying from you.

Frequently asked questions