In 2026, the EU CBAM has fully entered the mandatory implementation phase, with key rules on pricing, trading, accounting and traceability officially taking effect.

Based on the latest official announcements from the European Commission and the most common practical questions of enterprises, this article summarizes authoritative and actionable compliance points to help global exporters accurately grasp policies, avoid risks and control carbon costs.

I. Latest Official CBAM Pricing and Trading Rules

1. Certificate Pricing: Quarterly in 2026, Weekly from 2027 Onwards
CBAM certificate prices are published quarterly in 2026, four times a year; starting from 2027, it will switch to weekly pricing, synchronized with the weekly average carbon price of the EU ETS.
The official price for Q1 2026 is €75.36 per tonne of CO₂e.

2. Purchase Channel: Unified Official Platform Starting February 2027
Starting February 2027, all CBAM certificates must be purchased on the EU central trading platform with fully unified channels. Enterprises need to familiarize themselves with system operations in advance to avoid delays in customs clearance and declaration.

3. Pricing Logic: Deeply Linked to the EU ETS
CBAM certificate prices are based on the EU ETS allowance auction clearing price, calculated using the weighted average method, ensuring that enterprises inside and outside the EU bear the same carbon costs, without price discrimination or additional premiums.

1. Is supporting documentation required for measured values?
Yes, it is mandatory. All measured emission data must be accompanied by supporting documents, verified for authenticity, accuracy and traceability by EU-accredited verifiers. EU importers only need to accept the verification results.

2. Is it necessary to trace the supplier's testing frequency for natural gas parameters?
No. Enterprises only need to ensure that parameters such as net calorific value and emission factors used are true and reliable; if this cannot be guaranteed, EU default values must be used.

3.Is it sufficient to calculate only the carbon emissions of steel plates for building steel components?
The core accounting covers carbon emissions from raw steel plates. Direct emissions from processing links such as cutting, welding, electroplating and finishing are not included in product carbon intensity under CBAM rules.

4. If steel is purchased through distributors, must it be traced back to the steel mill?
In principle, it must be traced back to the actual producing steel mill. If original mill data cannot be obtained, the default value of the country of origin will be enforced, which will significantly increase carbon costs and inspection risks. It is recommended to prioritize obtaining measured data.

Pricing is quarterly in 2026 and weekly from 2027, leading to more frequent carbon cost fluctuations that require advance calculation and planning.
Measured data is better than default values and can effectively reduce carbon tariffs, but complete supporting documents and official verification are required.
Supply chain traceability is critical, especially for bulk commodities such as steel and aluminum, which must be traced back to the production facility.
More standardized processes and more complete data lead to lower compliance costs and fewer inspection risks.
CBAM has entered a normalized stage of strong supervision, strict inspection and actual tax collection. Only by establishing standardized carbon data management, improving the MRV system and completing supply chain traceability in advance can enterprises stably enter the EU market and maintain long-term competitiveness.

SKYCO2 is deeply engaged in the EU CBAM compliance field. Relying on professional policy interpretation capabilities, rich industry service experience and digital technology support, it provides global export enterprises with full-process customized services such as CBAM policy interpretation, measured calculation, traceability construction and MRV improvement, helping enterprises accurately control carbon costs, avoid compliance risks and successfully break through EU carbon tariff barriers.