[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":197},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog:\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-is-cbam":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":181,"description":182,"extension":183,"hero":184,"heroAlt":185,"keywords":186,"meta":187,"navigation":188,"path":189,"readingMinutes":190,"seo":191,"stem":192,"tags":193,"__hash__":196},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-is-cbam.md","What is CBAM? A plain-English guide for EU importers",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":172},"minimark",[9,13,18,26,29,33,40,74,77,81,84,108,111,115,118,148,151,155,158,167],[10,11,12],"p",{},"If you import steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen or electricity into the EU, you have\nprobably had CBAM land in your inbox — usually as a forwarded email with a deadline and a lot of\nacronyms. This is the plain-English version: what CBAM is, who it touches, and what actually\nchanges for you.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"the-one-sentence-version","The one-sentence version",[10,19,20,21,25],{},"CBAM — the ",[22,23,24],"strong",{},"Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism"," — makes importers of certain carbon-intensive\ngoods pay for the emissions produced making those goods, so that imports face a carbon cost\ncomparable to what EU producers already pay under the EU Emissions Trading System.",[10,27,28],{},"The goal is simple even if the paperwork isn't: stop companies from dodging Europe's climate rules\nby moving production abroad and importing the result.",[14,30,32],{"id":31},"which-goods-cbam-covers","Which goods CBAM covers",[10,34,35,36,39],{},"CBAM does ",[22,37,38],{},"not"," apply to everything you import. It covers six groups of goods where production is\nespecially carbon-intensive:",[41,42,43,49,54,59,64,69],"ul",{},[44,45,46],"li",{},[22,47,48],{},"Iron and steel",[44,50,51],{},[22,52,53],{},"Aluminium",[44,55,56],{},[22,57,58],{},"Cement",[44,60,61],{},[22,62,63],{},"Fertilisers",[44,65,66],{},[22,67,68],{},"Hydrogen",[44,70,71],{},[22,72,73],{},"Electricity",[10,75,76],{},"If none of your imports fall into these categories, CBAM almost certainly doesn't apply to you. If\nsome do, the next question is how much and from where — more on that below.",[14,78,80],{"id":79},"two-phases-first-you-report-then-you-pay","Two phases: first you report, then you pay",[10,82,83],{},"CBAM rolled out in two stages, and it's easy to confuse them:",[85,86,87,98],"ol",{},[44,88,89,92,93,97],{},[22,90,91],{},"The transitional phase (2023–2025)"," was ",[94,95,96],"em",{},"reporting only",". Importers filed quarterly reports on\nthe emissions embedded in their goods, but paid nothing. It was a dry run — for companies and for\nthe Commission.",[44,99,100,103,104,107],{},[22,101,102],{},"The definitive regime (from 2026)"," is where it gets real. Importers now have to buy and\nsurrender ",[22,105,106],{},"CBAM certificates"," covering the emissions embedded in what they bring in. The price\nof a certificate tracks the EU carbon price, and a shrinking free allocation is phased out over\nthe following years.",[10,109,110],{},"In other words: the era of \"just report it\" is over. From 2026 there's a number attached, in euros.",[14,112,114],{"id":113},"what-you-actually-have-to-do","What you actually have to do",[10,116,117],{},"Stripped of the jargon, compliance comes down to a handful of steps repeated for each import:",[41,119,120,127,134,141],{},[44,121,122,123,126],{},"Work out the ",[22,124,125],{},"right customs classification"," for the goods.",[44,128,129,130,133],{},"Establish the ",[22,131,132],{},"embedded emissions"," — ideally actual data from your supplier, with default values\nas a fallback.",[44,135,136,137,140],{},"Calculate the ",[22,138,139],{},"certificate obligation"," for the emissions that aren't covered by free allocation.",[44,142,143,144,147],{},"Track the ",[22,145,146],{},"deadlines"," and file an annual declaration.",[10,149,150],{},"None of it is conceptually hard. It's just detailed, unforgiving of small errors, and repeated every\ntime you import — which is exactly why it eats time.",[14,152,154],{"id":153},"where-tarify-fits","Where tarify fits",[10,156,157],{},"tarify does the expert part in the background. You connect your files, it reads your invoices, works\nout whether you're even over the threshold, calculates what you'll owe in plain euros against the\nactual legal text, and prepares the declaration for you to review and submit. You never have to\nbecome a CBAM expert to stay compliant.",[10,159,160,161,166],{},"Not sure whether any of this applies to you? ",[162,163,165],"a",{"href":164},"\u002Fcbam-check","Run the free 2-minute check"," — no sign-up,\nno jargon, just a plain answer.",[10,168,169],{},[94,170,171],{},"This article is a general explainer, not legal advice. Your exact obligations are set by the EU\nregulation and depend on your specific imports.",{"title":173,"searchDepth":174,"depth":174,"links":175},"",2,[176,177,178,179,180],{"id":16,"depth":174,"text":17},{"id":31,"depth":174,"text":32},{"id":79,"depth":174,"text":80},{"id":113,"depth":174,"text":114},{"id":153,"depth":174,"text":154},"2026-07-21","The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, explained without the jargon — what it is, which goods it covers, the 2026 shift from reporting to paying, and what importers actually have to do.","md","https:\u002F\u002FY7CUzzVjaoML1MZf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com\u002Fblog-3.webp","A cargo ship being unloaded under a grey European sky, gantry cranes reaching over stacked containers","CBAM, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, EU CBAM, CBAM 2026, CBAM certificates, CBAM importer, carbon border tax, what is CBAM",{},true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-is-cbam",5,{"title":5,"description":182},"blog\u002Fwhat-is-cbam",[194,195],"CBAM basics","compliance","rxgZzhPWE70hsWP6B78OiYr9iePn2yYzhg73iHmhSDs",1790002811528]