From 1 January 2026, the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has entered its definitive regime: EU importers of covered goods must now purchase CBAM certificates corresponding to the embedded emissions of their imports.

Key facts for exporters:

- The transitional reporting phase ended on 31 December 2025; from 2026, financial obligations apply, starting with products in six carbon-intensive sectors: steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.
- Importers require precise, verifiable emissions data from producers — default values will apply where actual data is missing, often at higher carbon intensity and cost.
- Accurate product-level carbon accounting is becoming a direct competitive factor in European trade.

For Chinese manufacturers in covered sectors, the priority is clear: build credible product carbon footprint data and emissions monitoring systems now. CSER Solutions provides carbon footprint assessment, energy data collection and net-zero pathway planning to help exporters stay competitive under CBAM.