The European Commission has informed EUROMETAL that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will come fully into force from 1 January 2026, as planned, the European steel distributors association notes.
In response to a EUROMETAL request for urgent clarification, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union asserted: “The date of coming into effect of CBAM on 1 January 2026 is EU Law. It can only change with a legal proposal by the European Commission and the agreement of the European Parliament and the European Council. There is no such proposal on the table.”
This comes following multiple instances over recent weeks of steel market participants suggesting CBAM implementation could be delayed.
In one high-profile case, Danish stainless steel distributor Dacapo suggested last month the measure would be postponed since several key variables – such as official benchmarks and default values – remain unavailable. The International Association of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (IACBAM) also said the CBAM implementation timeline, in its current form, remains a serious concern for many of its members.
The Commission is expected to publish the CBAM benchmarks in the fourth quarter. This will be accompanied by a legislative proposal extending CBAM to downstream products and introducing additional anti-circumvention measures.
Adam Smith Austria
