CBAM COST CALCULATOR
certificates and cost by import year, 2026 to 2034
What an EU importer surrenders for your goods when you supply no actual data: the default value, its mark-up for each year, less the free-allocation deduction as it phases out.
Calculate your buyer's CBAM cost
How the cost is calculated
Certificates per tonne = default value × (1 + mark-up) − benchmark × CBAM factor. The default value is the country and product figure in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621, as corrected by (EU) 2026/1740. The benchmark is the column-B value for the default value's production route in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2620. The cross-sectoral correction factor is taken as 1, as no other value has been published. Cost is certificates × the price you enter.
| Import year | Default mark-up (steel, aluminium, cement, hydrogen) | Fertilisers | CBAM factor (share of the benchmark deducted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10% | 1% | 97.5% |
| 2027 | 20% | 1% | 95% |
| 2028 | 30% | 1% | 90% |
| 2029 | 30% | 1% | 77.5% |
| 2030 | 30% | 1% | 51.5% |
| 2031 | 30% | 1% | 39% |
| 2032 | 30% | 1% | 26.5% |
| 2033 | 30% | 1% | 14% |
| 2034 | 30% | 1% | 0% |
The CBAM factor follows Article 10a(1a) of the EU ETS Directive as in force. The Commission's July 2026 ETS review proposal would restore part of the free allocation from 2028 and push the full phase-out to 2038; if it is adopted, the later years change. Benchmarks are being updated for goods imported from 2027, so years after 2026 use the benchmarks published today and will be re-run when the new ones appear.
Worked example: hot-rolled coil by country of origin
Certificates an importer surrenders per tonne of CN 7208 39 00 on default values. Two things push the figure up every year until 2034: the mark-up rises to 30%, and the deduction for free allocation shrinks to zero. For Indian coil it grows from 3.3722 certificates per tonne in 2026 to 4.331 in 2028, 28% more for the same steel. At €82.32 per certificate, 1,000 tonnes would cost about €277,600 in 2026 and €356,528 in 2028.
| Origin | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2030 | 2034 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 3.372 | 3.834 | 4.331 | 4.858 | 5.564 |
| China | 2.170 | 2.523 | 2.910 | 3.438 | 4.143 |
| Ukraine | 1.395 | 1.678 | 1.995 | 2.522 | 3.228 |
| Türkiye | 1.335 | 1.612 | 1.923 | 2.451 | 3.156 |
t of certificates per t of good. Computed with ZeroCarbon's CBAM engine from the official tables.
What actual data changes
Defaults are national averages with a penalty. When your installation supplies verified actual emissions, the mark-up disappears and your own intensity replaces the national figure. How the deduction works for actual data, and a worked mill example, are in how to calculate CBAM embedded emissions. The dates that matter for 2026 imports, from certificate sales in February 2027 to the first declaration on 30 September 2027, are in CBAM in 2027.
curl "https://zerocarbon.org.in/api/v1/cbam/default-value?cn=72083900&country=IN&year=2026&through=2034&tonnes=1000&price_eur=82.32"Questions
How much will CBAM cost in 2027?
It depends on the good, its origin and whether the exporter supplies verified actual data. On default values the mark-up rises from 10% in 2026 to 20% in 2027, and the free-allocation deduction falls as the CBAM factor drops from 97.5% to 95%. For Indian hot-rolled coil (CN 7208 39 00) that is 3.8345 certificates per tonne in 2027, against 3.3722 in 2026.
What changes for CBAM in 2028?
The default-value mark-up reaches 30% and the CBAM factor falls to 90%. For Indian hot-rolled coil on defaults the certificates per tonne rise to 4.331. A proposal would also extend CBAM to about 180 downstream steel and aluminium products from 2028; it is not yet adopted.
When do EU importers buy CBAM certificates?
Certificate sales on the central platform open in February 2027. The first annual declaration and surrender, for goods imported in 2026, is due by 30 September 2027. From 2027 the certificate price is published weekly instead of quarterly.
Does this calculator forecast the CBAM certificate price?
No. It holds the price you enter flat across years so they compare like for like. It is prefilled with the latest published price, €82.32 for Q3 2026.
How do I lower the CBAM cost for my buyer?
Supply verified actual embedded emissions for your installation. That removes the mark-up and replaces the national default with your own intensity. The free-allocation deduction for actual data uses a different benchmark, so the saving has to be calculated per installation.
Sources: CBAM certificate prices and CBAM legislation and guidance, European Commission.