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CBAM cost for United States Steel in 2026

Importing steel from United States under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism? Here is what one representative shipment costs on the official EU default value — and how much verified supplier data saves. All figures are produced by our compliance engine at the current published certificate price of €82/t.

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How the United States steel number is built

Under EU Regulation 2023/956 and its implementing rules, embedded emissions for steel are the specific embedded emissions (SEE) of the good multiplied by the mass imported. Where you cannot yet provide verified actual data, the EU default value applies — and for iron and steel that default carries a 10.0% mark-up in 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2025/2621). This worked example uses the default SEE of 1.54 tCO₂e per tonne; verified data on this example brings the effective SEE to 1.4 tCO₂e per tonne, which is what removes the mark-up cost.

Two figures, both correct. Full exposure is what this shipment costs once EU ETS free allocation has gone (2034 onward) — the number to plan against. You surrender for 2026 is the actual 2026 obligation: the embedded emissions minus the free allocation adjustment — the CBAM benchmark (1.370 tCO₂e/t) × 97.5% still allocated free to EU producers × tonnes (Art. 31, Reg (EU) 2023/956; Reg (EU) 2025/2620).

Illustrative single-product estimate. Verify with a full report before filing. The figures assume no Article 9 claim; a carbon price you can evidence as paid in the country of origin may reduce them.

Default values are a regulatory fallback, not a measurement of any specific plant. The EU default SEE is a conservative reporting value that applies until you provide verified actual data — a real United States steel plant may emit more or less. That is exactly why verified supplier data usually lowers the number.

Last updated: 2026-10-25 · figures at €82/tCO₂e for CBAM year 2026, computed by our compliance engine.

Carbon price and Article 9 in United States

The US has no federal carbon price; only where a state scheme such as California or RGGI applies might a limited Article 9 claim be supportable. Where a carbon price has been paid on these emissions, Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2023/956 lets you deduct it from your CBAM liability — but only against evidence of the price actually paid, and it never turns a positive liability negative. This is separate from the default-value mark-up: verified emissions data removes the mark-up, while a verified carbon price paid in United States is what Article 9 credits.

Cut your United States steel CBAM bill

Our self-hosted CBAM platform collects verified data from your United States suppliers, computes engine-certified emissions, and generates registry-ready QReport XML — so you claim the lower number defensibly.

Frequently asked

How much does CBAM cost for United States steel?

For 2026 you surrender about €16,814 on the default value for 1,000 tonnes — 1,540 tCO₂e embedded at €82/t, less the free allocation adjustment (benchmark 1.370 tCO₂e/t × 97.5% still free) while EU ETS free allocation is being phased out. Once it has gone the same shipment carries €126,773. Both include the 10.0% mark-up.

How much can verified supplier data save?

On this example, roughly €11,525 (9.1%) per shipment — removing the default mark-up brings the liability to €115,248.

When is CBAM payable on imports from United States?

Goods imported in 2026 become certificates bought from February 2027; the first annual declaration is due 30 September 2027.

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